The Chieftain's Daughter
by AYangThang
Summary: Change is on the wind, a dark age nears. Something's out there, pulling the strings. Whatever it is, it's insidious. (An AU Story with multiple pairings, read the A/N for more details.) Main Pairings: Blake/Yang, Blake/Ruby, Blake/Weiss, Blake/Neon, Blake/Ren. Yang/Blake, Yang/Neon, Yang/Nora, Yang/Yatsuhashi, Yang/Ren. Ruby/Blake, Ruby/Sun. Weiss/Blake, Weiss/Yang, Weiss/Ren.
1. Chapter 1

**Food For Thought:** This fanfiction is rated M for adult implications, lewd humor, occasionally crass language, and otherwise suggestive dialogue. It is an AU fiction, steeped largely in character study, and the conquest of having many lovers. There is a deeper plot as well. Some of the ships are a much slower burn than others, and some have been pre-established. The main pairing list includes the following:

Blake/Yang, Blake/Ruby, Blake/Weiss, Blake/Neon, Blake/Ren.

Yang/Blake, Yang/Neon, Yang/Nora, Yang/Yatsuhashi, Yang/Ren.

Ruby/Blake, Ruby/Sun.

Weiss/Blake, Weiss/Yang, Weiss/Ren.

Although I would certainly call this a harem type of fiction by basic definition, it's not drenched in lemon content. That's not to say there isn't some citrus here and there. Merely that it's not the entire focus, as I aim to dig a little deeper into the thoughts and actions of these characters.

Furthermore, I aim to take a more primal attitude in this fiction when it comes to Faunus than I normally would in other fictions, and this will be showcased throughout the story. I hope you all enjoy my take on the harem genera, even if it isn't as raunchy and lurid as one might generally expect.

Chapters will range in length, from 1,000 words - 3,000 words per chapter. This story takes place over several years.

Next Update: Monday, April 2nd.

* * *

 **The Chieftain's Daughter  
Chapter 1**

 **(Time: Day one, of the cracked lunar year.  
Location: On the Island of Menagerie.)**

Today was an important day for most Faunus in Menagerie. The weather was beginning to warm, and the tropical storms were beginning to fade away. It was the time of year that brought plentiful food, and the smells of nature. Faunus, sometimes governed by that nature, were driven by these climate changes found. This incredibly warm weather was only found in the tropics.

More temperate regions suffered the chill of winter, and would continue to suffer them for a few more months.

The Faunus of Menagerie were well aware what these warm temperatures meant, and several species felt the opportunity rise to begin the mating process. During these safer months in the year, when the Grimm and wildlife would also be breeding, it was less likely that the village would fall under an attack. Instead, the creatures, large and small, became very defensive over their own territories, but would leave others alone.

Hunting would be more dangerous, of course. Both for food, and to cull the number of Grimm.

Yet, it would be an evil not able to go on ignored. Without animals and foraging to eat, food supplies from the mainland would run dry more quickly. If the Grimm propagated too closely to the village walls, or they became too great in number, the already dangerous forests would become deadly in a matter of weeks. Eventually, the young Grimm would grow into a sizeable force.

A big red blotch on the calendar marked the first day of this mating season. If the women of the village who could go into heat hadn't already, they would be going into it shortly.

Blake was already acutely aware of her body's urges, something that woke her up several times in the past few days with the desire to rut. Scratching the itch that she found so prominently annoying. It was beginning to recede again, thankfully. However even that joyous new came at a cost. As a cat Faunus, she would go in and out of heat several times in these following months, when it was the opportune time to carry children.

Her body was primed and ready to accept the first feasible male that she came across. Needless to say, the entire process annoyed her, and she once again prepared her excuses for the men that would approach her.

A loud splashing sound slammed into the relaxing ambiance that had once cloaked the world around her. Black cat ears flicked at the sound demanding her attention, and her skyward gaze fell. Majestic as it was, the broken moon overhead was not the primary attraction that demanded her attention. No, on this unbelievably early morning. Golden eyes found themselves lingering elsewhere. A feminine figure capturing her keen gaze.

The woman who had created the ruckus was outrageously beautiful, at least, in Blake Belladonna's humble opinion.

Although it was dark, golden Faunus eyes saw the world around her clearly. The way that the blonde woman's body demanded that the water part for her. The droplets that fell from her hair. All of it was captivating to Blake's catlike senses. The ripples from the woman's splash were flowing outward insistently, the blonde's shapely body acting as the very epicenter of each tiny movement.

Every breath sent out more gentle waves. Each one lapped at the surface of the otherwise still water. The small fish in the pond, shimmering in the dim light, scattered in all directions. They too, parting for the beautiful goddess visiting their domain.

The sight was a simple thing, a tiny little pleasure. The feline Faunus felt compelled to feel pride. The notion that the woman down in the water would soon bare the Belladonna family crest pleased Blake greatly. A warm, fuzzy feeling warred with the exhaustion that she felt. A wayward purr slipping from her lips, though she tried desperately to stop it.

Blake yawned tiredly as she allowed her gaze to wander into the distance. The roar of Grimm sounding closer than it should. The low rumbling demanded her attention as it thrummed in her ears. she scowled at the thought. In spite of this, it was the flapping of wings that posed the more imminent threat. A promise of danger to follow.

At this hour, while most Faunus slept, she stood watch. Guarding the territory from atop her parent's roof. A soft breath of concentration focused her efforts. With a slow and measured grace, she grabbed the expertly crafted long-bow at her side. Partaking an arrow and shooting it far, she murdered a small straying nevermore before it could return to its nest. The threat was neutralized in that instant, her ears released themselves from their predatory state.

Then she looked down at the bow. It was so unlike her usual weapon.

Certainly, it was not her weapon of choice. Gunfire would only startle the resting Faunus families still asleep in their beds. Bow and arrow would have to do. Preparing another arrow, she shot it off into the distance, taking down another bird Grimm, the likes of which only proved that the creatures were gathering to lay more eggs.

Keeping that in the back of her mind for later, Blake resumed her gaze on the woman down in the water. The blonde grinning and waving upward in greeting. Blake purred to herself again, delighted at the simple action. She returned the gesture, though she was sure that the blonde couldn't easily see it. Blake was likely no more than a shadow to Yang's poor eyesight in the dark. Seeing the Faunus only because the moon's glow was unobstructed, the Faunus knowingly relaxing under the gentle light, weak as it was for human eyes.

"You're up early." The phrase in and of itself caused Blake to jolt as she turned around to peer into the darkness where her mother stood cased in shadow.

"I hate it when you do that." She snarled dryly under her breath.

"So you always tell me."

"If you know it agitates me, then why do you continue to do it?" Turning her back to the older cat Faunus, she glanced down to Yang once more.

"I can't help it, not if you're this distracted." Kali merely chuckled softly as she padded over to where her daughter sat. Taking in the expanse of scenery as she sat down beside her. "I didn't mean to startle you. If I thought you were preoccupied, I wouldn't have addressed you at all."

The elder cat Faunus was dressed in battle garb. It smelled fresh and clean, indicating that the woman had not gone out yet to scout for Grimm. The combat leathers were meant as an added layer of protection, but Blake found them confining. She avoided wearing the robust leathers that most in the village guard wore. She eyed the outfit wearily, before lifting her gaze into amber orbs so very much like her own.

"You didn't startle me." Blake said slowly. "I was just busy surveying the area. Nevermore must have laid eggs early this year. Young ones are taking flight."

"Hmm, so I see."

"What is it now?"

"Oh, nothing. I was just wondering if your attitude wouldn't happen to have anything to with other matters. As I see it, one of those little humans of yours misplaced her swimwear again. That would be very distracting, now wouldn't it?" Kali grinned, only to earn an annoyed grunt for her efforts. "Oh, come now. No need to be so ill-tempered. It's the mating season, dear."

"I know." Blake grunted.

"I'd be worried if such things didn't catch your attention."

"Though I hate to say it, you're right. _It is_ the mating season." Blake agreed, her temper was a bit hostile, she had to admit. That was always the case when oncoming heat began to fizzle within her, a sign of season to come. "More importantly, the spring claiming festival begins today. As always, we're the village hosting this season's celebrations."

"Well, it's only fair." Kali sad with a small smile. "Our sister villages off the coast of the mainland host the summer claiming festival, and the smaller villages to the north always host the winter festivities. Even though they don't nearly have the resources that we do, they all do their best to accommodate the gathering Faunus. We must do the same."

"Several families are coming in from the mainland." Blake agreed.

"I look forward to it." Kali grinned. "Perhaps a few strapping young huntsmen will show themselves."

Blake only narrowed her eyes at the suggestion. "I don't think I have to warn you that the Grimm will be aggressive once the hunts begin."

"Yes, well it's to be expected I suppose. I wouldn't be too happy either if villagers started firing arrows at me."

"Grimm are a nuance." Blake shot back.

"They probably feel the same way about us." Kali replied simply, her placid and gentle nature extending to even the monsters of the world. "Many moons ago, before the Faunus settled here, the Grimm were the only inhabitants of this island. I feel as though we're the outsiders. To the Grimm, we are the intruders."

"They're mindless, they don't think like that." Blake replied. "Whatever peace we've reached with them stems from aggression and power, nothing else."

"Hmm, perhaps, but that kind of mentality is very narrow-minded, wouldn't you agree?" Kali asked, but received no response on the matter, not that she expected one. "I have been hunting the Grimm and the wildlife here for a long time now. I've noticed some things. Grimm are aggressive and dangerous. I would never argue that. Yet, to say that they lack agency and presence of mind is a heartless thing to say."

"Your kindness towards them will get you killed one day." Blake scowled. "Skilled in the ways of hunting or not, the moment you let your guard down, you're asking to be hurt."

"As your father constantly reminds me every time I speak to him about the matter."

"And for good reason…"

"Yes, well there is that. I was just off to patrol and take a look at the situation for myself. I want to know that our hunting territories have been well maintained before we take the girls out there for the first time." Kali said, as though her armor hadn't already proven that. "Although, I don't suspect I'll find anything. I don't have the skill that you or your father do." Kali folded her arms over her chest as she regarded her daughter thoughtfully. "It might do you well to go out and prowl around as well."

"Let me worry about training the females. You chose to aid the village in other ways, so you're best suited to helping the girls learn the domestic duties required of the villagers." Blake murmured, knowing well that Kali's own hands were full with the needs of the people. "Besides, the claiming festivities will have you busy chaperoning the young girls again this year. There's a good number of them that haven't had basic weapons training yet, so they can't even go on the hunt."

"So I've noticed." Kali replied, though a hint of humor found her voice. "The scent in the markets yesterday were bordering on indecent."

"Why do you think I keep out of the thick of it?" Blake grumbled softly under her breath.

"Speaking of claiming festivals, it will be your sixth year, Blake." Kali began slowly. "Is there any chance that you'll decide to produce offspring this year?"

"There's always a chance, minuscule though it is." Blake murmured offhandedly, though her gaze drifted downward again, her eyes narrowing in contemplation. "That is the intention of why we go into heat in the first place, isn't it?"

Kali just smiled softly with a small shake of her head. "You _can_ talk to me you know, I'm not blind." Kali gazed down at the human in the waters. "Your father seems rather hopeful for you to carry your first litter. I haven't had the heart to tell him to consider otherwise."

Blake nodded, it was to be expected. "I'll be leaving myself open for courtship activities from all suitors. I don't suspect anyone will cross my path worth mentioning, but, I'll keep the matter in mind."

"Blake, you don't have to rush, you know. It took me ten festivals before I settled on Ghira for courtship, and several more before your father and I actually decided to try and conceive. You're only twenty, you have plenty of opportunities ahead of you."

"Opportunities that I don't want to go wasted." As the only child of the Belladonna line, she felt the weight of bloodline looming heavily on her shoulders. "I've been thinking a lot about how I want to do things moving forward. I've already made a few decisions based on that." The Grimm roared loudly in the distance once more, and she turned to her mother. "Anyway, I'm going to hunt. I'd suggest you do the same." She said, jumping off the rooftop and into the bushes below.

Kali only shook her head and sighed, a tiny smile on her face as she watched her daughter stalk off into the distance. She glanced down at the unobstructed view of the human woman floating in the pond once more. It was obvious that Blake had feelings for her. "Like father, like daughter, I suppose..."


	2. Chapter 2

**Next Update: Friday, April 6th**

 **Chapter 2**

When the sun began to rise, the duties for the day began in earnest.

Blake scratched the back of her neck as she cringed, looking at the group of youthful Faunus in front of her. "There must be a mistake." Blake replied, looking at the number of them. "They're younger than I expected."

"I know, Blake, I thought the same, but it's their nature that dictates this, not us. If you're old enough to produce offspring biologically, you're old enough to hunt beyond the village walls." Ghira replied, stating the same phrase that governed all of Menagerie during this time of year.

Blake rubbed at her eyes before steadily looking to the girls. Respectfully, most of them kept their head lowered to avoid insulting the rulers of their island. The female Faunus in question ranged in ages. Some of them as young as twelve. The oldest among them no older than sixteen. It was the youngest batch she had ever been trusted to look after. They were going to be more than a little inexperienced out in the wilds, most of them stepping out beyond the village walls for the first time.

"I hope all of you can fight." Blake said then. "At the very least, I hope that you know what you're getting into. Shadowing someone like myself isn't easy. For the duration of the mating season, you can look me square in the eyes if you'd like. Honestly, you're going to have to learn to keep your eyes on me for your own protection. Watching what I do is how you'll learn."

The younger, more demure girls looked up slowly, studying Blake with renewed excitement. The older cat Faunus bit her cheek, withholding an annoyed little growl when she realized just how green these girls possibly were.

"I'll leave them with you." Ghira said then, a much larger group of village boys following after him.

Blake could already feel the headache beginning. Several Faunus species had a habit of going into heat at a rather young age, and feline Faunus such as herself were some of the earliest bloomers. As she looked to all of the teenage girls under her protection, she felt the weight of what it meant to be a matriarch fall onto her shoulders. One day, she would likely have a daughter to teach about the ways of the village. Until then, these young pupils were awaiting her direction.

"Alright then, let's get started with something basic. Maintaining your field knives." Blake said, gathering her own set of throwing knives, she looked at the girls crowding around her. As she taught them how to sharpen and care to the blades, she took the time to inspect the throwing knives the girls also carried.

This particular group planned to partake in the foraging and hunts that sustained the villages. That meant learning to survive outside of the protective barrier of the walls. They'd spend years learning a wide range of combat, and about herbalism. Menagerie was not like other places in Remnant. It didn't have the endless supply of dust, or advanced medicine found in the big cities. Electronics were kept minimally, and without one of the Schnee family's famed communications towers, most long distance communication had to be sent by word of mouth, or by written documents.

Because of this, many who lived on Remnant thought Menagerie, and the people who inhabited the island, were behind the times.

That, because they lacked such luxuries, they were by nature a primitive people. Animalistic, even by the standards of Faunus. However, that was simply not the case. Although the island had some questionable quirks, they were very successful at sustaining themselves under harsh conditions. There were many. Unpredictable rainy climates. Grimm activity. Not to mention the bigoted views found on the mainland.

The islanders had to learn how to cope when living conditions could be at their worst. Training the youths early and often was a primary staple of the mating season, when smaller Grimm were easier to find, and the combat was the most stable.

"What's that?" One of the girls asked, pointing to a powdered substance tightly sealed in a small glass jar. "What illness does it fix?"

"I'm not a medic." Blake said to the child. "My jars contain things to eliminate threats. Poisons, venoms, anything lethal. Substances made for killing. This, is one such mixture. Atropa Belladonna, otherwise known as Deadly Nightshade."

"A berry bush?" Another young girl asked, this one slightly older.

"It does have berries, but you cannot eat them." Blake told her. "It's a plant that is very poisonous. The roots are the most dangerous part of the plant, but the poison runs through all of it. The berries included." She picked up the vial, ever so carefully opening it and on a cloth, dispensing just the slightest bit. "It won't slay a Grimm, but, if used liberally enough on your weapons, it may be enough to drive them away. Sometimes, it's the best you can hope for."

"But it would kill a buck, or a fish, wouldn't it?" Came another inquiring question from an equally curious bystander.

"Well, yes…it would, but then you wouldn't be able to eat it." Blake said slowly. "If you ever plan to lace your blades with anything, keep in mind you do so with the intent to kill."

"So, you don't use it to hunt?"

"Not food, no." Blake replied simply. "If you consume anything that's been contaminated by your poison of choice, you run the risk of killing friends and family. That's why you never use the same tools to hunt Grimm. The two require vastly different methods, and Grimm are meant to be eradicated. Hunting Grimm is what I do, and it's very different from the work you girls plan on doing. Poison like this is something that I won't be teaching you."

"But what if we want to hunt Grimm?" A wolf Faunus, probably about twelve or so, looked up to Blake. The young noble wolf Faunus was part of a proud pack that many of Menagerie's warriors hailed from.

"You're too young to take down a Grimm." Blake replied with a chuckle. "This is your first heat. You're a woman of the village now, and though you might one day become a huntress like myself, that's only one path. It's not the only option open to you. Hunting Grimm is a skill that takes time to master. If you can do that, you can stay safe, and be aware of what your surroundings are telling you."

A loud ruckus broke Blake's concentration, and she gripped the poisonous powder in her cloth covered hand to keep from spreading it. Not far away a few single village men around her age made fools of themselves. Obviously they were trying to keep her attention for more than a second. Rolling her eyes, she began to ignore them entirely. Carefully disposing of the poison by dousing it in a vial of dark liquid antidote, she set fire to the small white cloth to dispose of it completely.

"Ignore the boys, they're being idiots." She said, causing the younger ones to laugh. Leave it to the rowdy eligible lion Faunus to catch a whiff of her scent and make calls at her like maniacs. She could hardly believe her ears as the three men, all littermates, tried to one-up their siblings by being even louder. The eldest of the men roaring in a display that had even a few of the people surrounding him looking mortified.

Blake side-eyed one of the young women in her care, a sixteen year old lion Faunus with a beautiful tail of white fur. It curled upward excitedly as the young Faunus woman was taken by the display. "Don't even think about it." Blake said, giving her a pointed look. Knowing exactly where her mind was going, and not liking that prospect one bit. "Someone ever roars at you like that, you don't even give them the time of day. Don't look at them, don't speak to them. If they keep at it, you snarl. If it continues beyond that, you find an older female and stay be her side. Do you understand?"

"They don't mean any harm. Besides, they're kind of cute when they roar though, don't you think?" The lion Faunus asked, practically swooning.

Blake raised an eyebrow to the still roaring men. "Roaring isn't cute. It's a display of power." Blake told her, still in complete disbelief over the matter. "Think with your head, not your instincts. If this wasn't the spring claiming festival, they'd be in trouble for making such a scene and disturbing the peace."

Much to Blake's dismay, the spectacle was an eyesore that made the younger females in her care prattle on. Snickering and gossiping like the young, inexperienced, girls that they were. Blake had forgotten how easily distracted and curious they could be. Interested about shirtless posturing going on not so far away. It didn't take long for Yang to hear the noise, chasing Blake's hopeful suitors away with her own aggravated bluster.

Her body casting a light that looked like a fireball as she charged after them, terrifying the eager young men away from their positions. Narrowly avoided a pummeling by the hotheaded blonde for even thinking to make such a scene.

"Yang." Blake spoke out above all of the shouting. "Leave them alone and get my armor. It's time for the hunt."

"Got it." The blonde put her thumb up, indicating she heard, before grinning and amplifying her semblance. The explosion managing to singe the fur of one of the young men Yang had been chasing down.

"That wasn't a license to set things on fire…" Blake mumbled under her breath as she felt her temper rise. "Yang, now!" Blake shouted again.

"I heard, but just a sec." she called back with a shit-eating grin plastered on her face.

Deciding that Yang on one of her famous tirades wasn't something the girls needed to see, she moved the lecture elsewhere. "Nothing good will come from this, so everyone follow me." She guided her young wards through the crowd, so as not to leave them with rambunctious the partiers.

"Are going to choose someone this year and make a litter?" The female lion Faunus asked.

"I don't have time to make a litter." Blake groused. "Besides, I'd never choose any of those three as a mate."

"Why not?" she asked, head cocking to the side, and ears perking curiously.

"In my eyes, they're not suitable."

"But they're big and strong." A short and slender cat Faunus replied, one of Blake's extended cousins from a nearby village. "They'll only get bigger too, maybe even as large as your dad, Blake."

"Strength alone is not enough for mating." Blake replied. "Remember, it's important that you pick mates that you enjoy being with. Choose carefully, and be picky. They should share your interests, and your goals. Most importantly, they should be the sort of person that you care deeply for. Breeding and mating are two very different things, and it is important that you keep that distinction at the forefront of your mind."

"But if you don't choose anyone, you can't mate."

At this, Blake only smiled as Yang came walking up, standing behind her with armor in her hands. Her voice instantly gentled as she answered the child's retort. "The thing you have to keep in mind, there will always be other festivals. The most successful courtships happen as the years go by, and you see people for who they really are." Then, she glanced over at Yang, holding that smile and lingering gaze a moment longer. "A mate truly interested in you, will take the time to know you as a person. One day, you'll come to understand on your own. Now, go stand in formation, but stay in my line of sight."

They ran off to do as they were told, Blake's keen gaze keeping track of them, as if they were small ducklings taking to water.

"Kids, always such a handful." She sighed to herself, scratching the base of one of her ears as it itched. The good natured snickering coming from behind her caused Blake to roll her eyes. "Do you find our customs funny, Yang?"

"No, not really. It's kind of cute the way you look over them, that's all." The blonde replied as began to outfit Blake in bright leather armor. The Faunus woman stood still, allowing Yang to work swiftly and diligently. "Although, I still think they're a little young."

"Old enough to breed, old enough to hunt. It's their own bodies that dictate the time, not us." Blake said simply, ignoring the shiver slipping down her spine with every affection kiss Yang pressed to the nape of her neck. Her eyes slid closed, but her voice remained stern. "This is only the start of their training, Yang. Keep it simple, don't allow the girls to stray far from you."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

"I'm not kidding. No charging ahead, or showing off. This isn't like last year when we had that older group ready to take on the initiation."

"I know, Blakey, I know." Yang chuckled. "You know me, I'd never let them get hurt."

"I don't doubt your protectiveness. I doubt your ability to show restraint. This is their first time out in the wilds, and you're to treat the matter with the due respect it deserves." Then Blake cast her gaze towards the village gate where the girls stood in formation waiting for inspection. "I don't expect them so much to slay a Grimm, as I expect them not to go fleeing in terror in the face of one."

"If you say so, but you don't have to worry. We took care of it. Neon, Sun, and I went and cleared out everything bigger than an Ursa early this morning. I don't think the grounds we've set up will be too hard for the girls to manage." Yang shrugged as she lightly slapped at Blake's armor. "There, finished. How does that feel?"

"Cumbersome." Blake deadpanned.

"It's your battle garb." Yang laughed. "Not mine."

"Today we introduce the girls to the dangers of the outside. No random killing of any Grimm shall be done, not even by you. Do you understand this?" She asked, rolling her shoulders under the thick material. She didn't often wear the armor, as it restricted her movements, but this too, was part of the tradition. That, and its bright colorations would help her stand out in the foliage, something she knew the youths would need if they had any hope of keeping up with her.

"Relax Blakey, I know the drill."

"Know it or not, I expect perfection from you." Blake told Yang. "This is an important day for them. If I had any doubts, I'd have my mother accompany me this year. Do not mess this up. You can go harassing the Grimm another day, but it will not be during this outing."

Instead of offering words of comfort to her obviously worried lover, Yang merely nodded. She pressed one last kiss to Blake's neck, a sign of affection that was very personal. The wordless promises kept there would mean more to the Faunus, and Yang knew that.

Amber eyes drifted over the built form of Yang Xiao Long.

Her tall stature, and wild mane of hair aside, Yang's features were distracting on normal days, let alone ones such as this. The more primal parts of Blake's mind demanded satisfaction, and truth be told, Yang's own battle garb did very little to conceal her shapely body and more than bountiful breasts. Blake bit the inside of her cheek, muttering curses, and promising herself that she would see to the matter later.

Squaring her shoulders, Blake stalked ahead. "We best get a move on, then. The girls shouldn't be left waiting, and we need to get them back to the village before nightfall."


	3. Chapter 3

**Next Update: Tuesday, April 10th.**

 **Chapter 3**

The first of hunting lesson had gone well, and Blake was content that none of the girls had run away from the grazing Grimm roaming the wooded areas. They had even managed to catch themselves a grazing rabbit. The predatory nature of their heritage made them well suited to chasing after prey. They had ran the rabbit down to its exhaustion, using their claws and teeth to get the job done. It wasn't what a more experienced person would do. Certainly, a human like Yang would never hunt like that.

However, Blake couldn't argue a job well done when the girls displayed the hard earned prize gleefully.

Yang couldn't praise the girls with the same sort of approval. Finding herself unable to hold back a few straying tears, let alone tell them that they'd done a good job. Blake rubbed Yang's back as the blonde haired woman spilled her lunch into a nearby bush, not having expected to see such a soft and fluffy animal meet its demise in such a visceral way. The children growled over the corpse. Arguing about who would have the honor of carrying it home to their family.

To Yang, that detail was even more horrifying. An animalistic nature showing itself among the Faunus that Yang truly couldn't comprehend.

Blake was more withdrawn on the mater, not particularly minding the metallic stench in the air. Instead, she glanced to her students in question. feline Faunus of several natures. Wolf Faunus, also pack hunters. All of them were, in some way or another.

"They're predatory Faunus, Yang." Blake murmured softly in her ear. "Of course they'd be able to hunt with their bare hands. We have teeth and claws. They're made to do strictly that. To hunt."

"Did they have to maul it to death?"

Blake only shook her head. "No, of course not. They didn't mean to be that barbaric." Blake gently tended to Yang's long mane of golden hair, running her fingers through the unruly length, guiding it into some measure of order. "The same feeling of excitement you get from hunting Grimm, they get simply by hunting in general. They're on a hormonal high right now, instinct and reason at war, and they're young. Too young to really put any of it into perspective. That's why we keep them so close to us. To protect them from themselves."

"They went after that poor thing, drew out the chase, bloodied it, and you _praised_ them for it."

"You're right, I did." Blake admitted softly, as soothingly as she could. "And I'll do it over, and over, and over again." Blake replied, placing kisses on Yang's exposed neck, and her cheek, uncaring of the terrible acidic stench in Yang's mouth. "It's how they learn, sweetheart." She continued as she passed Yang a canteen of water to rinse her mouth out.

"If they're not good enough to use a weapon, they shouldn't be out here."

"I know you don't understand. I know that some part of you just can't understand. That's just the sort of person you are." Blake continued, trying to calm the shaking she could feel in her lover. "Yang, the problem is, you _need to understand_. To them, they did a good deed. They're bringing food home. The end justifies the means."

"That wasn't justified, it was cruelty…"

"I forget that you're used to chaperoning older, more experienced girls that know how to make a clean shot the first time." Blake replied earnestly. In retrospect, this was one of many reasons Faunus kept humans well away from their customs. "One day, they'll be that skilled, but for now you have to put it into perspective. To a predator Faunus like them, cute furry little creatures aren't our friends. They're our food. That's it."

"I hate when you're so logical." The blonde manage to laugh weakly.

"It's true though, Yang." Blake murmured. "They're a thing to eat. Nothing more, nothing less."

Yang looked over her shoulder, and shook her head.

"I'll handle things from here…" Blake told her. "You go take a walk, clear your head a little bit before coming back."

Yang nodded, coughing a little as she took in a few more breaths of air.

Though Blake wanted to stay to help Yang, she had to get the youths back to the village before nightfall. First, however, she had to stop the bickering on. Going over to the group, she grabbed the rabbit by its back feet, not even bothered by the fact that it was still warm.

"It was a team effort. You all played a part, and therefore none of you have the sole right to carry this home to any of your families. Instead, I will carry your prize back to the village." She told them. "Together, we will present it to one of the cooks in charge of the feast. They will clean and prepare the rabbit with the others that were caught earlier today day. I'm sure that this contribution will make all of your families very proud."

Together, the group continued their walk back to the village. They stopped only to observe movement in the trees and titter on amongst themselves. Blake expertly guided them back to safety, allowing none of them to wander very far from her sights. By the time they returned, the festival had only gotten more rambunctious in the evening hours, and Blake took special care to see each girl safely back with her family for the night.

Prideful, most of them bragged about their hunt, which Blake confirmed much to the delight of the other adults. Truth be told, they would need several more supervised outings over the years to hone their skills. However, everyone had returned safe, and Blake counted that as a victory. The first day came and went with bonfires, feasts, and dancing. The islanders coming together to share the wonderful nighttime weather and the plentiful meal.

Among the gatherings of large families, there were some Faunus looking for bedfellows. Meanwhile, others continued seeking courtship for committed mates to claim as a spouse, the process a long one.

Blake smiled to herself as her father gave one of his many grandiose toasts of the season, several of the elders making comments that would easily go unheard by the younger, more exuberant attendees. Blake had seen enough for the night, she decided, as she headed for home. A slow sigh fell from her lips as she entered into her personal dwellings, away from her parent's household.

It was a choice she had made on her own, choosing to live just outside the village walls. It was peaceful to be near the Grimm, to hunt them at her pleasure, and to be away from the streets that made the village as lively as it tended to be. Furthermore, it kept the humans she housed at distance, respectful of the entirely Faunus village that her family protected.

"You came back earlier than I thought you would." A fellow Faunus and housemate said to Blake. Her eyes dilated, drifting over Blake's form hungrily. "You're alone too, that's a first."

"It's been a long day, Neon." Blake replied steadily.

"Yang's not with you. She's always with you." She licked her lips then, long tail flicking back and forth with unrestrained excitement. "Wait, does that mean I finally get you to myself?"

"Your heat isn't mild this year, is it?" Blake laughed, seeing the peppy girl roll her eyes as she leaned in close.

"No." The cat Faunus purred. "I've been chomping at the bit all day."

"Go to the festival like everyone else." Blake told her, though she did take pity on the woman. Her fingers trailing down Neon's exposed back, amused at the skimpy way a single sheet tied around her did nothing for her modesty. "Find a mate, Neon, for maiden's sake."

"I don't want to go be tied down to anyone, Blake." The woman spoke, shaking her head. Her tail flicked playfully before twirling itself around Blake's waist. "I just want a good time, that's all. Why go there, when I can get that here?"

"Good question." Blake smirked, petting that silky feline appendage that so easily wrapped around her in playful ways. "Normally I would entertain you, but I can't tonight." Neon loved the attention, always seeking it. Her affectionate nature a contrast to her feral Faunus heritage. Proof that despite their looks, Faunus were capable of wider perceptions than humans ever gave them credit for.

"Aw, why not?"

Although Blake never said it aloud, Neon reminded her of a kitten that never seemed to grow up, rather than a Faunus with a respected northern bloodline. Neon's father a chieftain in his own right, maintaining a small village up in the north. "I'm busy. Actually, I'm not looking for carnal pleasure from you any night during the festival. I have preparations to make, and my own heat to deal with."

"Sooo, why suffer when we can fix that?" She said, unwilling to let Blake slink away so quickly from her sights. "You're not thinking of working all night again are you? Not on the first night of the season." She grinned, circling Blake conspiratorially. "We should play instead. I've got these cool new bath bombs that smells like catnip. Total heaven, I swear."

"As enticing as that sounds, I just can't." Blake replied, this time uncurling Neon's tail from her form, giving the tip the most gentle of kisses and smoothing out the soft fur. "Fixing the matter would go against particular traditions that should be observed…that, and I'm exhausted. I've been keeping charge over village girls all damn day, and I know I'll be tasked with the same girls tomorrow."

"Yeah, that's because you shoved all of the really little ones on me!" Neon said with a pout. "It was no fun, Blake."

"With most of the women out hunting for food, someone had to stay behind and play den mother. Besides, you like children."

"Toddlers pull tails…"

"They pull ears too, I know that from firsthand experience." Blake deadpanned. "Actually...they probably pull everything." she grumbled thoughtfully. "Anyway, you wouldn't want the girls under my watch this year. They're too young to know the difference between instinct and reality, and too driven by hormones to think ahead."

"Isn't that the way it always is at first, though?" Neon asked, cocking her head to the side thoughtfully as she wrapped her arms around Blake and hung from her shoulders. She nuzzled her nose affectionately just under Blake's chin. "I mean, don't you remember when we were about that age? We couldn't keep our hands off each other."

"Which is _exactly_ why we separate the males from the females. It's also why we do our best keep them in our sights. To protect them from their own idiocy." Blake said with a soft growl tinting her tone. "At least if two girls sneak away decide to mindlessly rut, there are no surprises later." She glanced over at the clock and shook her head. "I don't have time for idle chatter. I have too much to do, and not enough time to do it in. Not if I want to be free from my duties by the end of the festival."

"You're choosing!" Neon accused before her eyebrows shot high atop her head and her tail flicked excitedly. "Who? When are you claiming them? How many? Oh this is going to be so exciting!"

"Calm down." Blake sighed. "I'm only claiming one mate this year. You know I can't say anything else until after the festivities have ended."

"And I thought I was hot and bothered before." Neon grumbled. "Oh, why not tell me just a little tidbit?"

"Instead, how about a suggestion of where you can scratch that itch of yours?"

"I'm listening." Neon purred, a hungry smile spreading across her face.

"Word has it that Sun's been avoiding the festival too. He always carries protection, why don't you go ask him for a rut or two? I doubt he'd turn you down." Blake could practically see the cogs turning in Neon's head as she thought about it.

"That's an idea." Biting her lower lip as a small sound came from deep within her throat. "God, the things that man can do with his tail…"

"What do you - wait, actually scratch that…" Blake shook her head, the images in her mind taunting her. "I don't want to know."

"If you don't know, you should totally find out!" Neon nodded then, bidding Blake goodnight as she went in search of the well-known monkey Faunus.

Blake lingered in the empty living room, but only long enough to set her weaponry aside before padding off towards her office.

It was a long walk down the hall, and she closed the door behind her. The room was small, holding only precisely what she needed. A desk, a few chairs, and several maps covering the walls. More maps rolled up in open storage. Each one marking a particular route that the boats frequented, and details on the Grimm that could be found there. She lingered over each one, fingers drawing invisible lines on the smooth paper. Red, routes indicated hostile territory, blue indicated smooth sailing, and as she studied the maps over for the umpteenth time, she knew the outcome of her findings.

"Just wait, Yang." She said to herself. "You'll know my intentions soon."


	4. Chapter 4

**Next update: Sunday, April 15th.**

 **Chapter 4**

Blake forced herself to keep focus. It would be a long night, and an even longer week. She had to be persistent in her endeavors to get the next few missions planned out. The village counted on it.

With a sigh grit between her teeth, the Faunus pulled out a few more maps from storage. Warming some hot water and dropping in a tea bag into it with a plop, she got to work. Her ears caught the faint sounds of the celebrations back in the village, fireworks marking the end to the first night. It was all the motivation she needed as she studied the maps closely. Thankfully, Blake kept diligent notes, marking new information when it became obvious that it would not change rapidly.

It took hours of careful planning and she knew that it was only the start. Yet even so, she was ready to make the first upcoming mission official.

It would be a northern voyage, and the waters were particularly dangerous in northern territories, where aquatic Grimm were rarely slain, and grew to impossibly large sizes. She didn't hesitate in spite of the late hour. Any stalling could make the mission a failure. Calling two of her most prized humans into her office, she had every ounce of faith that they would be able to successfully complete this mission.

"It's almost time for the yearly voyage to Atlas for dust supplies. Obviously, due to the destination, it's a cold water mission. Grimm activity is high, and there are plenty of icebergs. Worst yet, there have been reports that the temperament towards Faunus has been particularly hostile recently." She said to the two women in her office. "Pyrrha, you and Ruby will lead this expedition to our White Fang brethren to receive our dust supplies."

"It's just the normal there and back again, right?" Ruby asked. "No weird stops like last year?"

Blake let her ears fall flat atop her head. Even remembering that nightmare made her skin crawl. "No, you will not be riding on any more civilian boats. It takes precious time out of your journey. Besides, the safety of those traveling to and from the island should not be reliant on you to protect them."

"But, we're huntresses, it's our job to protect people."

"Yes, Ruby, it is, but not at the expense of the mission for this island. Menagerie requires supplies, and those who make the journey here by boat know the risks. You have only one concern. Completing this mission on time, and returning safely." While Blake believe those two things to be paramount, she found herself tenting her fingers as she sat at her desk, a strange restlessness tingling at the tips of her fingers.

She looked down to the great glacial territory. Against her own wishes, her fingers rubbed at the destination spot, and the women in front of her seemed to catch onto this.

"Blake?" Pyrrha murmured. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." The cat Faunus offered as reassuring a smile as she could muster. "While you're docked there, I need the two of you to do me a personal favor. Something a little questionable...well, for a Faunus to ask you to do, anyway."

"Anything." Ruby said, jumping at the chance to put to rest any lingering problems Blake thought might arise.

"I have prepared a gift of the finest tea we have to offer. Also included are two rather long letters of apology. One from myself, and one from my father." Blake began, her amber eyes glancing down at her maps once more. She then looked up and took a breath. "I'd like you both to represent Menagerie, and give it to the Schnee family patriarch in a show a good will. I have a feeling he'll be less likely to turn away two humans."

"We've never given a gift to him before." Pyrrha pointed out. "We've never even stepped foot near the Schnee manor. He doesn't particularly enjoy uninvited guests to his property."

"I've never had to explain the insubordinate actions of White Fang members on his property before, either." Blake said as she slid forward the report so that Pyrrha could see it. "These two members are now being sent back to Menagerie. They will take part in our remedial training program this year. I plan to put _both_ of them through their due paces. However, first we must try to do damage control."

Pyrrha's fingered tightened around the written documents sent from Atlas. She frowned, almost in disbelief. "It says here they're being followed by the heiress for reparations. However, it fails to state which one. As I recall, the man has two daughters."

"He's got a son too, doesn't he?" Ruby asked.

"Now that you mention it, I think so." Pyrrha nodded conversationally. "The youngest among them. He would be far too young to travel on his own. Winter, on the other hand..."

"Winter Schnee is a blueblood, and a diplomat of the highest order. She would not be coming." Blake cut in stiffly, pulling the attention back to the task at hand.

"Can you be sure?" Pyrrha murmured.

"No...but, my thoughts on the topic are somewhat grounded by knowing the woman on a personal level." Blake explained at length. "The Schnee family name doesn't come lightly, especially not to Faunus, and particularly not the ones here in Menagerie. I have every suspicion that Winter Schnee wouldn't make the journey over such a small scuffle."

"This report makes it seem anything but small." Pyrrha noted as she handed Ruby the paperwork. "Dust explosions, even minor ones, can have lasting issues. Besides which, even looking at the report at face value, it was an act of vandalism by two Faunus. That's hardly something to overlook."

"Agreed, but Winter is intelligent, and thrives on intimidation when it suits her." Blake said, pondering her thoughts aloud. "I'm sure if she would have chosen to come here, she would have sent word about it personally. She isn't one for surprises."

"Supposing she did come unannounced?"

Blake let out a tiny growl, one of displeasure even thinking of it. "I would not presume something like that."

"Yet, pretend that you did…" Pyrrha pressed. "What would you expect?"

"Pyrrha, I have no words to describe the magnitude of that question, or how it could reflect on our survival as a village. Winter is not a woman to toy with. If she feels hostilities are rising, and that Faunus are to blame, we would not be met with the pleasure of her company." Blake said slowly. "It would be retribution."

"Yeah, but on the reverse side, she is generally fair to Faunus." Ruby said.

"Fair, perhaps. However, I'd hesitate to call her kind when provoked." Blake continued, pressing her point. "That is why you have been tasked to appease the Schnee patriarch in the best way that you can. We can hope that he might forgive the insult on his property."

"Even if we do give him a gift, I doubt he will accept it." Pyrrha said softly.

Blake was obviously displeased, but she knew the words to be true. "Still, you have orders to try, Pyrrha."

"And try I will. I promise you that I'll do my best." Pyrrha assured, ready to give her best attempt. "Honestly, though, you should not expect much."

"Honestly, I don't. You and Ruby will ship out two weeks from today in one of our cold water vessels. I expect the journey to take about a month, all things considered. The boat crew shall be hand selected by my father for this mission. As with all journeys to Atlas, if you choose any Faunus teammates they are not to leave the safety of our established White Fang headquarters."

"I'm going to want Yang for this." Ruby said then. "I don't like going all the way to Atlas without her. The aquatic Grimm are more likely to retreat due to her semblance, and she's the one least likely to catch hypothermia if she's in the water for any length of time."

"You're going to have to go without her this time. I'll need her in Menagerie for a while longer after the festivities have concluded." Blake said then. "Anyone other than Yang is at your disposal."

"Understood." Pyrrha said, looking over to Ruby. "If we take both Yatsuhashi and Fox along, that should compensate for the loss of Yang's semblance."

"Alright, but we'll need ranged fighters too." Ruby said, biting her lower lip in thought. "Sun's semblance could would, if not, his guns are about on par with mine."

"You're free to build your teams however you wish, so long as you keep Yang out of the rotation." Blake replied. "Just get back to me as soon as you've built them. Until then, Pyrrha, you're dismissed. Ruby, I have something else to discuss with you."

"Um…did I do something wrong?" The woman asked, but Blake merely shook her head.

"No, of course not." Blake said, her voice gentling itself under Ruby's worried expression. "If you'll accompany me, outside, we can continue our discussion there…" Then she looked over to Pyrrha. "Please excuse us, this cannot wait."

"Perfectly understandable." Pyrrha nodded. "I should be off too. I'll need to check our supplies and write up a report of what we'll need more of. Ruby, if you could meet me at the supply houses by the docks when you're finished?"

"Yeah, I'll see you there." Ruby said with a smile. "Just after I talk to Blake."


	5. Chapter 5

**Next Update: Wednesday, April 18th.**

 **Chapter 5**

Blake slid open a hidden panel that acted as a sliding door. It took them into a personal sitting room. On the far side of it sat a door connecting to an outside veranda. It was a small area, protected by the trees. Blake plucked the matches that were resting by the table, using them to light the torches outside to illuminate the area. The fires flickered and danced, beautiful, but dangerous.

Ruby rarely came to this part of the house, as it was sectioned off and privatized by a thicket of bamboo that grew wildly around the area.

There was only a small swing made from the very bamboo that protected this space. This was the most private outdoor area around Blake's massive household. Two small stools rested in the corners, potted plants resting on them. A small boxed garden of herbs housed some of Blake's most prized plants. Even though Ruby had never actually seen Blake smoke, she knew that many islanders enjoyed substances that would be illegal in any of the major cities.

The cat Faunus came out here often when she wanted to be alone. Blake often found solitude away from the members of her household. As such, Blake's personal area was off limits to anyone she hadn't personally invited to invade her space. It was an honor to be out here with her, and on such a beautiful night, at that.

Blake walked to the far side of the outdoor sitting area, turning to Ruby as she leaned heavily on the railing, setting the last torch ablaze before blowing out the match. For a few short moments, she was quiet, calm. There was a tense undercurrent working its way into her gaze. "So then, where to begin?" She asked somewhat rhetorically.

"At the beginning?" Ruby returned, unsure of the why she saw such a troubled look in Blake's eyes.

"I don't make a habit of amusing most humans with our customs. They don't usually involve any of you. Seeing as the village doesn't normally recognize humans as part of our social grouping, the people are better off ignoring your existence. At least, more often than not." Blake said slowly, hesitating. "Furthermore…" She trailed off.

"What is it, Blake?" Ruby asked. "You can tell me anything."

"You live outside the village walls." Blake continued, golden eyes gently meeting Ruby's. "You live here, with me. Your dealings in the village…are to be honest….sporadic at best. There's a distance between you and the villagers."

"It's been that way for a while. It's not a problem, is it?" Ruby said, wondering if the anxiety she saw was due to Blake working herself into exhaustion. Without proper rest, Blake was known to stress herself out needlessly. It wouldn't be the first time, nor would it likely be the last. "I wouldn't want it any other way."

"I'm grateful for that." Blake replied softly. "It doesn't change the facts though."

"You're being hard on yourself again, aren't you?" Ruby accused gently. "You really shouldn't do that."

"Ruby, you need to understand, you humans were a social experiment of mine. To me, it proves that humans and Faunus can cohabitate wonderfully together. Under particular conditions, it's ideal for diversifying the island, trade, and commerce. However, here in Menagerie, there are so few of you. You're seen as my tools, and you're not equal here. The rest of the world offers humans a place of prosperity and privilege to those who work for it. The same benefits don't always apply to Faunus, but here, Faunus are placed first and foremost above humans."

"Blake, it's okay." Ruby said with a smirk. "You're rambling about hard stuff again, but, maybe you don't have to."

"I know, I know." Blake mumbled in agitation between gritted teeth. "Shit, I wish I could make this easier..."

"Sooo, maybe just make it simple. Just say what you want to. Don't worry about me so much."

"But I do worry, Ruby."

"Right, so maybe don't...at least, not right now."

"Look, as a general rule, for a human to be here, you must cast aside the privileges of being human. Some of you have chosen to do so for very personal and important reasons." Blake shrugged, looking to Ruby earnestly then. "I don't pretend to understand some of the ways you humans think. Just as I cannot pretend that you all understand the way Faunus think. Often, I find it too difficult to try to know the depths of your minds. Yours, particularly, Ruby."

"I don't really think I'm all that deep, Blake."

"Yet, disregarding human norms was a choice you made as well." Blake finally manage to say, forcing the words off of the tip of her tongue. "For that reason, Faunus culture doesn't need to be a concern for you, at least not usually. None of it applies, but, Ruby…." Blake sighed deeply then, as Ruby watched her intently. Eyes like the metal of a gun seeking her every movement, as the human woman clung onto the words Blake spoke. "That will change for you."

Ruby's face contorted in confusion. "But…why?"

"Faunus don't often speak of who they intend to mate, or the reasons why we choose the mate that we do. Those things are personal to us, revered because of the importance of the occasion. Although some Faunus take more than one mate over the years, each one is unique, and the individual is to be highly regarded and respected…the problem with this, Ruby, and why it concerns you…." Blake took a breath and licked her lips. "It's because I've chosen to claim Yang."

"Really?" Ruby asked. "That's great, though, isn't it? Isn't that like one of the biggest milestones for Faunus?"

"It is, in a way." Blake said. "But, at the same time, it isn't."

"Well, that's not being simple Blakey." Ruby said with a small smirk. "You'll just go in circles if you keep worrying yourself…"

"I'm the chieftain's daughter." Blake said pointedly. "I have duties to this village that go above and beyond the usual call of Faunus nobles. As a result, Yang's status becomes paramount to the people here on this island." Molten eyes of gold sighed as she stepped forward. "Some of that notice will extend to you, Ruby. As Yang's half-sister, you share her bloodline. In Menagerie, where taking multiple mates can be a common thing, half-siblings are seen as equal to those of full-blooded littermates."

"Soo, this is a problem, because?"

"Your status here will be elevated simply because you're related to her." Blake said. "The people will begin to treat you differently."

Ruby took pause with the statement, almost flinching violently under the information. "But, I don't want that." She said, almost as if to shove the entire notion away. Ruby stepped forward, leaning heavily on the railing as well, looking up at the sky. "I like things just the way they are."

"I know, Ruby, trust me. I have no intention of stressing you out, or upsetting you." Blake sighed, hugging the woman to her chest. "To be honest, it's why I didn't choose you as a mate last year, even though I heavily considered it."

"Why would you even want me as your mate anyway?" Ruby said, nuzzling into Blake's warmth. "I'm not that great…"

"You mean, besides the fact that I care deeply for you?" Blake asked softly, eyes narrowing a bit in humor.

Ruby nodded, a small hiver slipping though her body.

"You're everything a person of my political stature would expect of a female." Blake told her. "You're intelligent, and you're kind, but you're also generally obedient. The village would see your nature and approve of your inclination to not make a spectacle of yourself. Your working knowledge of Grimm would make you respected as a village guard, and you're successful leadership skills would warrant consideration to be part of my father's elite unit. Furthermore, it would have paved the way for me to claim more humans in the future, should I desire to do so."

"You can claim Yang now, though. Well, I mean, I think you can. I don't know of all of this mating stuff, but I do know you care a lot about her." Ruby said then. "If you ask her, you know she's going to say yes."

"I know that, of course." Blake nodded at this, however, she knew the dilemma was lost on Ruby. The woman didn't have a spiteful bone in her body. She didn't have the inclination to judge people. "The issue is that, in spite of my wishes, Yang isn't an ideal mate."

"You must think she is." Ruby said, pulling away slightly. "Don't you?" Her voice wavered. "I mean, that's why you'd choose her, right?"

"Yang is not by any means docile…" Blake explained, cording her fingers through Ruby's short tresses. "And she doesn't listen to orders if she doesn't agree with them."

"But she always does her best." Ruby shot back.

"She has a big heart, Ruby, but her personality is even larger. It can be very hard to handle with care. I was reminded of that today." Blake began, a fondness trickling into her words, even though exasperation did too. "She's rambunctious, and easy to agitate. The fact that she's not male is a multifaceted issue. She gets into fights all the time, and she's more than happy to cause a scene if she's provoked. All of this is made worse by the fact that she cannot sire progeny, and therefore, I won't be able to breed with her."

"But, you're choosing to claim her as a mate with her anyway." Ruby said with a smirk. "That's got to mean something, right?"

A smirk that Blake returned. "Yes, I am. To me, it's a very big deal, and it means a lot. Frankly, I shouldn't even be telling you until the village matchmaker gives Yang and I our tattoos. However, I know this will change the way the village looks at you."

"Things won't be that different for me, will they?"

"People will have to part the way for you in the village, and obey you when you speak. They won't be able to look you in the eye unless they're of noble birth, or you've told them to. The shopkeepers won't be allowed to take any money from you, not even as a gift. You'll be considered part of the extended Belladonna family, the highest ranking family on the entire island of Menagerie. So, if you ever want to pay someone back for something, it'll have to be in the form of good deeds, or favors. They will repay you with deeds or favors in kind."

Ruby crinkled her nose. "Why aren't the Belladonna's allowed to use money?"

"The highest ranking family is never allowed to use currency on the island. All of the money we tax goes directly back into the economy for goods and procurement of supplies. As a result, the Belladonna family only takes money from the coffers when we're about to travel. Or to dole out currency to our merchants for trade on the mainland. We are provided everything we need here on the island, in return, we serve and protect the island to the best of our abilities."

"But I like paying for things." Ruby said.

"We pay in other ways." Blake replied. "Remember, Kuo Kuana is the main hub to all of Menagerie, but there are smaller outcroppings of Faunus only villages that we have to lend an ear to. Both on the island, and on the mainland. We are the largest haven for Faunus, but that means we also curate the most notice and sway from the large mainland cities. My family has pull that no other Faunus family has, and it's our responsibility to use it to protect and aid all Faunus across Remnant."

Ruby could understand that, on some level she even respected it. "I just don't want to be treated differently…"

"It's just the way it is." Blake said softly, giving Ruby a gentle kiss on the forehead, and hugging her as tightly as she dared. She could smell Ruby's scent, and if it were any other time during the year, she would have thrown the shorter woman over her shoulder and carried her to bed. Reluctantly, she pulled away just enough so that she didn't feel inclined to amuse such a thought any further.

Not on the very week she would be publicly announcing her claiming of Yang Xiao Long. "You will become used to it, it might just take some getting used to."

"I'm perfectly happy here, outside of the village." Ruby said. "I like it here, with you and everyone else. I don't really want all of that attention."

"My intentions for you have not dwindled, Ruby." Blake replied then. "Not even slightly. If I thought for even a moment you'd be able to handle the sudden change in status, I would claim you right here, right now. I know that's not fair to you though, and that you wouldn't do well with the sudden change of social and political status. To be honest, I'm sure Yang is ill-suited for it too, but I know she will approach the situation with a positive mindset moving forward."

"Maybe one day I'll agree to it…" Ruby trailed off. "But only maybe…it's not a promise. Maybe it's because I'm human, but I like you for you...not because of all of this mating business."

"What about those things you humans do?" Blake asked, trailing off. "Marriage, was it that?"

"I don't think I need that either." Ruby said with shrug. "Maybe I'm just weird...or maybe I'm just not at that point in my life yet. Who knows?"

"Even if the answer turns out to be never, at least I can say enjoyed the pursuit." Blake said then, tousling the dark tresses upon her head. "That reminds me, Pyrrha requested your help, you should go and help her prepare. Otherwise, she'll be down by the storage units all night."

"What about you?" Ruby asked then.

"I'm just fine." The warmth in her voice was proof of her honesty. "If you feel like going into the village tomorrow, stock up on cookies while you have the chance. You won't be needing any currency you have after the claiming festival. Any leftovers that you have from your missions will go directly into Menagerie's coffers from then on."

"If I bought that many cookies, I'd be able to give one to everyone on the island." Ruby laughed. "I hardly ever spend the money at the bakery when Yang and I can just make our own whenever we want." She narrowed her eyes a Blake. "Although, now I know why you always insist on doing the shopping on your own…"

"My mother and I don't get any time to chat unless we visit the markets." Blake shot back, her voice filled with amusement. "It has nothing to do with a lack of payment, I promise you that." Blake said, her eyes glancing back to the door, and to the work she knew she had left to do in her office. "Now shoo, I have hunting reports to write. I'll never be able to do them if I'm too distracted. Go help Pyrrha, and with any luck, I'll see you at the morning feast tomorrow."

"Don't count on that, I'd rather just eat a bowl of cereal than be out there with all those people." Ruby said, giving Blake another hug before parting ways. "Buuuuut, if you do get bored of all the partying and noise, you know I'll be around here someplace. I'll probably start reading a new book with Yatsuhashi. You're always welcome to join us, all curled up in a bed, munching on fruit all day. He always finds the best ones."

"My ideal afternoon." Blake said then. It was too. She loved her reading just as much as she loved sampling for the daily foraging of fresh fruits. "Sadly, this time, it won't be written in the stars for me."

"Another time then?" Ruby asked hopefully.

With a smile that could only come from the comfort such a question offered, Blake answered softly. "Of course."


	6. Chapter 6

**Next Update: Monday, April 23rd.**

 **Chapter 6**

 **(Time: Day two, of the cracked lunar year.  
Location: The wilds of Mistral.)**

As a human woman, drumming and chanting of nearby Faunus villages sometimes came as a surprise. She didn't pay it much attention, but she also knew that those drums were something that many people hated to hear. Humans often found the act animalistic, and there was no question as to why. Even so, those far away sounds rolled like rumbling thunder throughout the wilderness.

The faint and distant noise was of little consequence to a traveler such as herself. After all, people would look down their noses at bandits, thinking them them to be little more than the filth of the human race…never mind what humans thought of Faunus bandits.

The slurs were to numerous and vitriolic to even think of, let alone speak out loud.

If there was anything Raven Branwen hated more than the slums of the inner cities, it was the people who held immense power in the Kingdoms. The snooty upper-class, signing death warrants for anyone idiotic enough to fall prey to the whimsical ideals of honor and bravery. Such things were meant to get a person killed. There was no honor among men who cast the lives of others away. Especially not those that continued to do so, all while making sure they they sat in the limelight reaping the rewards.

Those were the types she hated the most. The men and women who stood as a public face to the masses. She hated the masses too, since they were complacent enough to follow their corrupt leaders.

Raven knew better.

She had learned never to follow orders blind. Truth's barbaric murmurings had given her the perspective that others didn't have. It gave her the ability to shun the world that twisted the fates of others with false smiles and empty promises. The thin veneer that everyone could achieve greatness only promised that no one would. That greatness was something else. Achieved by luck, and not effort. By corruption, and not honor. Greed, and not bravery.

No, the men who controlled the lives of countless people were cowards. It was as simple as that. Raven Branwen stood by that observation. She would live and breathe that belief, until she took it to her grave.

With another mission done, she found another reason to drive herself to drink. She had to make the call, but she hated dealing with the man on the other end. Even seeing his name splayed across the screen of her scroll made her angry. Still she pushed the name, the ringing carrying on for a few moments before he picked up.

"It's been completed, as you've requested." The she said, her tone like battery acid.

"You didn't run into any trouble?" He asked that every single time, as if he doubted her.

She grit her teeth, offering a simple answer. "No. Nothing."

There was a chuckle and a pause, murmuring in the background indicated he wasn't alone. Then after a moment, he asked the very same question again. "Are you completely sure?"

"It was just a few Grimm, have a little more faith in me than that." She grumbled, as she heard the sound of a lighter and the deep inhale of a fine cigar. Thick with tobacco, full bodied, his favorite. She swore, she could recall the smell. A mix of spice only native to the tobacco fields of Vale. "Is my payment ready?"

"Whenever you come to retrieve it." The man spoke uncaringly. "Come to the usual place."

She blinked, pausing to take in the pure idiocy she heard. It had to have been a mistake on his behalf, but deep down she knew it was only bravado. She glared at nothing, and yet, at everything. Knowing that the man's smugness would have wilted in that very instant if he could have seen her face. "That wasn't the agreement, and you know it."

"Hey cut me some slack."

"You pay for services rendered. Or, if you'd rather, I could just cut your throat out." It wasn't an earnest offer, not really. Killing him wasn't worth the time or the headache. Even so, the thought served to be amusing. "God knows there's probably a bounty out on you somewhere."

"Hey, play nice now." Roman said, the amusement still in his voice. "I went to a lot of trouble for you."

"I only asked for a few vials of premium dust. That's not hard to come by in your particular market. Don't be an ass."

"Now, now, now, it isn't just dust. It's _unmarked dust_ , completely off the books, just for you. I personally made sure it was the highest quality. You should be willing to make this easier on me, considering the amount you ordered. Why not just come to Vale and get it yourself."

"Don't screw with me." The woman murmured lowly. Heat dragging from her voice, tinting her words in vitriolic rage. "Listen up, if you can't supply what was agreed upon, you're useless to me. We have a deal in place, and I suggest you uphold it."

"Premium dust costs more than a few Grimm. Especially if you want me to deliver it by hand."

"Such a high quality dust is what allows me to use my weapon proficiently." She pointed out.

"That's not my problem." A muted thump indicated he may have slapped his hand on his desk.

"Oh, but it is." She laughed darkly, already feeling the hypocrisy of his words sinking into her. "You live a comfortable life, Torchwick. You dance between the shadows and high society. It's a good thing you have going, but we both know the truth. You live on dirty money. Covered in the blood of others. People are just tools to you, a means to an end, nothing more."

The spluttering cough fell over the line, likely puffs of smoke violently clouding around him. "I'm…I'm not that bad." He wheezed. "I help you, don't I?"

"You like to think you do." She replied dryly. "Honestly, sometimes I think you're more of a headache than your worth."

"And yet, here you all, still doing business with me."

"Only insofar as you prove yourself worthwhile." Raven retorted. "You're weak, Roman. If you came face to face with a real Grimm, you'd piss yourself. You wouldn't even stand a chance. Your place is behind the safety of Vale's walls, but that will only protect you for so long. It wouldn't protect you from me in the slightest."

"Those are pretty big words for an outcast."

"They are, but, I'm not lying. If you want to test me, go ahead." She said, rubbing her eyes, nipping on her inner cheek to keep from just barking obscenities. "If you want to keep your reputation as squeaky clean as everyone thinks it is, then you'll give me the dust I want. Send one of your goons in your place, I don't care. Just uphold your end of the bargain."

"Why should I?"

"That's how our agreement works. It's symbiotic, don't be a fool. You can't afford to lose my cooperation."

"The agreement was only temporary. You can't keep coming to me about this kind of thing you know. One day you'll blow my cover, then the jig will be up."

"There is no jig." The woman groused. "You'll give me the dust I want, or I'll find someone who will. Don't make yourself expendable to me, or I won't cover your sorry ass next time you go bragging to some uppity businessmen with more money than sense. You wouldn't want to lose your position as a socialite among Vale's finest, now would you?"

They both knew the answer to that, and with a long suffering sigh, Roman Torchwick relented. "Alright, chickadee, chill out. I'll get the dust to you as I promised. It just might take a little time."

"Get it done." Three simple words, dripping in malice. They were all the woman said before she hung up, closing her scroll with more force than she intended.

She grabbed her sword and stabbed into the ground. Her eyes focused ahead of her, gazing out into the lowlands. The impaled Ursa she had just slain dissipated into nothingness, not that she cared one way or the other. It could have died slowly suffering for all she cared. Atop her perch upon the hilltop, she felt strangely reminiscent of a similar view she knew almost too well.

The memory was perfect. Engrained there, deep in the back of her mind. She doubted it would ever go away. It was a coveted recollection, something very personal. She would even go so far as to call it profound.

Worth more than any bounty, no matter how bold the offer.

There were a few differences between this hillside and the one she used to know. The waterfall at her side didn't exist back at that old place. The air was more humid here, the trees were larger. There was more moss and swampland, the scent obvious even to her human nose. Her red eyes lingered for a moment longer, before she dismissed the sentimental remembrance outright.

Bygone memories did nothing for her now.

No, they were merely afterthoughts.

Padding over to the quickly flowing river, she stood at the edge of it. Peeling off her boots and socks, her feet squishing into the spongy moss. In the water's reflection, she could examine her own image. The blood covering her from head to toe. Her mostly red and black outfit would need to be washed and repaired before she could ever hope to step foot anywhere near civilization.

Although she was considered a bandit, her life was more complicated than that. She lived among them, brethren in blood and in bone. She was even spat upon due to her somewhat questionable ways. Still, she wasn't only a bandit. she was a huntress. Slaying Grimm was what took up most of her time these days. The large and easily protected cities might have despised her, but the villages always welcomed her with open arms.

Her willingness to spill the blood of marauders and Grimm alike, coupled with her skill in doing so, made her a valuable comrade to them. She wasn't exactly personable. Thankfully, the villages never asked her to be.

Regardless, looking like she did was no way to keep that carefully attained trust and respect. There was only one thing to do.

She shivered as she undressed, dunking her clothes in the water to scrub them as clean as she could make them. Then she hung them on a low lying branch, setting a fire nearby, before dipping herself into the shallow area of the rushing water. Then she went to work scrubbing herself clean as well. Dried blood and ash flowed freely from her deep black tresses, dirtying the water. She didn't pay any mind to it, as the grime got swept away down the long waterfall and into the pools below.

She was used to such things by now. For a sinner such as herself, it was a deadly, yet reasonable existence.

Her thoughts drifted back to the quality of life she used to know. She thought about her old friends. The simple minded family and the values she cultivated in her younger years. Building a home from the nothingness. Gluing unity together piece by precious piece. Setting loneliness and solitude aside for the convenience of fellowship, and the desperate desire not to be alone. To stand side by side with the people she thought she could come to love…

People who would unquestionably grow to love her.

Raven was a different person then. She spent her time putting effort into a dream that seemed intangible. Obviously impossible. She'd fought so hard for those comfortable ideals, only to leave it all behind when her cynicism finally overcame her. A wry smile tugged at her lips. One that soured quickly into sadness, bitterness, and even a hint of rage. A frown molded into a scowl as she truly gave thought to it all.

What would Taiyang think of her now?

Did he even think of her?

What about Qrow, or even Summer?

Her heart ached at the thought of a woman who could no longer speak her discontent. The dead couldn't talk, and ghosts could only haunt the mind.

It had been a long time since Raven was part of that family. It seemed like forever ago that she traveled side by side with them. Fighting back Grimm, helping those in need thoughtless of any reward, every single gesture pure hearted and well-meaning. She recalled how every setback was minor back then. How each of them chose to move forward together. Making a true family out of the broken and fractured pieces of the lives they once knew.

Upon reflection, _it was impossible_.

Siblings, the twins of bandits. A silver eyed warrior. A lonely optimistic, who only wanted to help the world for a greater good. It was laughable at best. At the time, she'd even said as much. Disbelief battering at her soul, warring with the smidgeon of hope that she felt. Going along with it all because she had to, not because she wanted to. The group got tired of wandering, they stopped and settled in a remote area on the Island of Patch. They built a home, and began a little family. She'd given birth to a daughter, and then it all when to shit.

When she walked out back then, she left that daughter behind…

Angry for recalling even that detail with such clarity, she pushed the matter aside. There was no use in lingering on the past. It was gone, and those days were never coming back. Deep down in her heart of hearts, she knew that...just like she knew she needed air to breathe.

More agitated than when she began, Raven got out of the water. sitting down by the firelight, she let the flickering flame warm her as she waited for her clothes to dry.


	7. Chapter 7

**Next update: Friday, April 27th.**

 **Chapter 7**

 **(Time: Day three, of the cracked lunar year.  
Location: The wilds of Mistral.)**

Raven had been forced to make camp for the night to allow her clothing to completely dry. She's fallen asleep, a fitful rest, that carried her to the grey morning light, just before dawn. The first thing she did was make an all too important call.

"The delivery should be there soon." She said to the woman awaiting orders on the other end of the line. "You'll have to accept it in my place."

"Rodger that." The complaint voice sounded. "Although, you know everyone else will throw a fit when then find out you won't be coming back for a little while."

"Then you'll just have to put them in their places, now won't you?" A gentle smirk played across Raven's face. "I'm sorry about this, but you'll just have to make due on your own for a little while longer. How are the food and water supplies?"

"We're stocked full right now." The woman voiced pleasantly. "It's all going well."

"I'm glad." Raven replied slowly. "How long could you enforce a lock down for? Comfortably..."

"A few weeks, tops." The woman said. "Maybe less."

"That'll have to do. Enforce it." Raven said then. "Vernal, once the supplies reach you, I want you to personally bring me three vials of each kind of dust that's been delivered. The rest should be distributed among the tribe. Tell them it's payment for a job well done so far. You'll have to keep laying low until a new camp has been secured. Chances are, we're going to have to move our location."

"To where?" she asked.

"I'm not sure yet." Raven paused, pondering whether or not it would help to speak freely on the matter. She decided against it, keeping her darker thoughts to herself. "Anyone who leaves the safety of the woods does it at their own risk. With the increased Grimm populations and the crackdowns on security, the villages aren't safe anymore. That goes double for Mistral. If anyone is stupid enough to get caught, they won't be rescued."

"I'd rather not leave this peaceful little forest, I like it here."

"We may not have a choice." Raven went on to say, her hesitation obvious to the woman who knew her so well. "We have to do what we know is best for the tribe. Too many of them have their faces plastered all across wanted posters. With the Faunus striking out against the Schnee Dust Company, tensions are on the rise. There's talk about an embargo, and that'll mean fewer jobs for people like us. It's too risky for most of you to take missions from the main cities."

"Isn't that what you've been doing?"

"I have the connections to cover my ass if things go sideways. The rest of you don't." Raven said softly. "I'll do anything to keep us safe. If I have to, I'll upheave the whole damn camp to Vacuo. For now though, I'm on the way back to my personal dwellings. That's where I'll be staying for the time being. Bring my share of the dust there, as soon as you can."

"I will."

"Oh, and Vernal…"

"Yes?"

"I mean it, stay safe…"

As soon as first light approached she began traveling along the flowing river. This far into the wilderness, she never strayed far from it if she could avoid it. There was a luxury to always have a clean place to drink, and a good possibility of finding food. Her footfalls were careful and meticulous. She was ready for anything, as a huntress should be.

Idly, she studied the landscape. Always remaining mildly attentive, just in case there were any changes. Her mind was fixated, deep in thought as she considered the problems going on in all of the large cities fortified by the kingdoms. In a lot of ways, they weren't her concern. In others, she dared not to think of the trouble it could cause for her. If those selfsame problems trickled outwards to the villages and forests that she frequented, work would become all the more dangerous.

She didn't mind calculated risks, but unknown variables were outright stupid, and she hated placing her bets on them.

Yawning, her aura flared gently against her skin as she began a following a path upward. It would be slow going as the dirt path twisted between the trees and the rocks, narrow in some parts, wide in others. It was a long walk, made more difficult by the steep terrain. She finally crested that tall hill, marveling as it jutted outward, looking down into the sprawling valley below.

She could see a great deal from up here. In the distance, wisps of smoke marked where villages were nestled in among the trees. She noticed a gathering of Grimm meandering about nearby, idly trampling along the greenery. There were animals too, deer drinking along the riverside, and birds nesting in trees. Not too far away, she could smell a campfire, which meant a group of travelers were likely making use of the berry bushes and fish in the stream. All of this and more made the quaint little valley what it was.

There were dangers too, though, plenty of them, each one with a name and a face she knew well. Her bandit brothers and sisters, her kinfolk, resided in that valley.

Without a reason to worry too deeply, she leapt into the air, turning into a bird as she soared downward. She flew for several miles, over a nearby bandit camp just to peep in on it. Some of her followers noticed her, but many more were completely oblivious. Most of them paid her no mind at all, thinking her to be a simple bird high up in the tree. With nothing amiss, she took off and soared on for a little while longer, choosing to land where her tiny cottage lay hidden far away from everything.

Although she kept a tent in the bandit camp, she could benefit her people more from leading them at a distance.

The dwelling was modest, hardly used. A layer of dust and leaves on her front stoop a testament to this. A tiny stream ran her waterwheel that helped to power her home. It wasn't as big as the rivers scattered around nearby, but for a single person, and the occasional guest, it suited her just fine. Just as she was about to go inside and make herself something hard to drink, a flock of otherwise peaceful birds flew away in mass from the forests.

For a moment, the sky was dotted black with the numbers of them, and they sped off into the distance.

A loud, fearful shout erupted from the forest, moments later. She paused, hand gripping the hilt of her sword as she listened carefully. Some Grimm could torment the mind, and some Semblances were made for deception. She stepped forward into the trees, searching, and finding the one who had made such a terrible racket. The boy huddled up into a tiny ball, his white hair caked with dirt, and his blue eyes wet with tears.

Raven grumbled to herself, it was an unattended child.

She looked around, trying to find the source of the distress, finding none. There were no other humans, and she doubted this kid was a semblance user. She let go of her weapon, and watched him sob. Aloofly keeping her distance, she considered what she might do with him. Turning away seemed the best option, but his crying continued, his sobs loud as he tangled himself more tightly in his torment.

Raven rolled her eyes as she went over and knelt in front of him. "Cut it out, kid." Her voice muffled by the white mask she often used to hide her face. "You'll attract the Grimm."

He screamed and backed away from her, crying all the harder. The boy wasn't all that old, unarmed and terrified. She bit her lip. Maybe she could dump him off in the village by her home. The headman was nice enough to take troubles off of her hands before, although the trouble in question had never once been a child. She could also dump him off somewhere more useful and make some cash.

"if you keep crying like that, I'll leave you here." She barked, seeing him sniffle more for her cruelty. She stood then, and leaned against the nearby tree, removing her large white mask entirely. "Where are you from, kid?"

"A-Atlas." He said, and his clothes certainly looked it.

"God damn, what's a boy like you doing that far from home?" It was an entirely rhetorical question, one she didn't expect an answer to. He didn't give one, either. "Look, either stay there, or come with me." She told him, not sure what he would do, and not concerning herself too deeply with his choice. "What you do, is your decision."

She began to walk away, entirely at peace with letting the wilderness get to him. If the Grimm didn't, the wolves surely would. The predators lived all around in these parts. Her sympathy was lost on those who would not help themselves. Raven didn't expect to be followed, but after she'd made some distance she heard the crunching leaves that stated otherwise.

She turned her head, those wet blue eyes peeping at her. She was terrified, but curious too. She raised an eyebrow, gesturing at the empty place by her side. "Well, are you coming?" She groused, eyebrow upraised, palm outstretched. It would be for him to be right next to her.

Instead, he shook his head and kept his distance. He said nothing to her, cowering inwardly.

"Suit yourself." She shrugged, continuing on walking. Sure enough his footfalls followed again.

There was nothing wrong with a little due caution, suspicion at the forefront of every action. She even thought it to be the smart move, all things considered. She meandered her way home, the lad following her only fast enough to keep her in his sights. That was all well and good, Raven supposed. The more afraid of her he was, the less likely he was to get attached. She had no intention of keeping him around.

Still, she wasn't the monster everyone rumored her to be.

Opening her home to him for the time being was the least she could do, so long as he helped himself along. She was not a person to coddle anyone, ever. She didn't have much to feed him, only some leftover fish, a few handfuls of wild berries, and some dry bread that she cut the mold off of. She tossed all of it on a wooden plate, sliding it in front of him as he sat on the floor in the corner.

He picked it up and ate it eagerly, unaware of the scrutiny she gave him.

Raven swore she had seen his features someplace before. She just couldn't place where. The boy had some rather fine looking clothing too. If they weren't so covered in dirt and grass stains, she was sure he'd be from the higher-end of Atlas.

"Hey, those are some pretty nice clothes." She said, gesturing to him. "Your parent's rich, or what?"

He didn't answer her. Only continuing to scarf down his food.

"Who are you?" she tried again.

"I'm not supposed to talk to strangers."

She stared at him, the simple reply stabbing into her brain. "You're like what, twelve? You can talk to strangers if you want."

"I'm ten." He said, looking up at her. "I'm not supposed to say a lot of things to people I don't know." Then he sadly curled into himself again. "It's the rules."

"Doesn't matter what the rules were before." She said to him. "You're talking to me now, aren't you?" His blue eyes looked down at the floor and she sighed. "Listen, I don't really care if you tell me or not. Thing is, if I don't know who you are, or where you come from, I can't help you."

"Will you help me?" He asked.

She didn't answer at first, instead walking over to the fireplace to get some logs lit. She mulled over her answer. Atlas was a long way from where she lived. She didn't want to have to make that kind of journey. He'd be worth more money sold off, and that was an option too. "If you tell me what I want to know, I might take you as far as the village in these parts. Hunters and huntresses pass by there all the time. If I don't feel like helping you, they will."

The boy seemed to consider this, and she could see the cracks in his resolve. His eyes began to water again, teetering on the verge of tears.

"So, who's your family?" raven asked softly. "You want to see them again, don't you?" She looked down at her sword, then, back at the boy. "If you ran away, I can help with that too. I know a place you could belong...if you want that sort of thing."

He bit his lip. He knew what he was supposed to say. His sister and his babysitter drilled it into him before they left the snowy north. "I don't have a family, not anymore."

"I don't believe that." She said. "If you're going to lie, try again."

"I don't have a family...not anymore." He said again, knowing not to stray away from that phrase. If he went back to Atlas, his father would take them. If she knew he was a Schnee, he might not be allowed to go back to Winter. He wanted to see his sister again, but he was tired, he was cold, and he was lost. There wasn't anything he could do, so he hid his face in his hands.

"No family. So that's how it is, huh?" She grumbled to herself as she sat in front of the burning fire. If he didn't want to tell her, she wouldn't drag it out of him. If he was a runaway, if he had cut ties with everything he used to know, she wouldn't judge him on that. the rest of the world could do a better job of hypocrisy than she ever could. Instead, she eyed him with a mild acceptance. "Fine kid, have it your way..."


	8. Chapter 8

**Next Update: Monday, April 30th.**

 **Chapter 8**

Deep in the forests, the huntsman had searched for hours. The sun now high in the sky. Yet no matter how good of a tracker he was, he couldn't find the child he'd been put in charge of. Scratching his scruffy stubble, the huntsman slouched against a tree, reaching for some long lost insight about how to deal with a missing child. Sadly, his memories were foggy now. They were dulled by the drink that so consumed his every waking desires, and fitful dreams.

"God damn kid." The dark haired man mumbled to himself bitterly. "Where the hell did he get off too now?"

Buried deep in the foliage of Mistral's woodlands, the lone vagabond cursed to himself. He was an expert tracker, but he was a terrible babysitter. He swigged from his flask to fortify himself, already in search of any hint to where the Atlas born lad had wandered off to. "Just my luck, getting saddled with a kid who hates me." He continued to rant, his tongue particularly loose from all of his imbibing as of late. "Should have known I do better with girls." The he smirked to himself. "Least they could take care of themselves…"

He scratched the back of his head as he kept looking. A fallen tree showed no signs of a lost child, and the footpath left no distinguishable tracks. The tall grasses were trampled, but if that was because of humans, or because of a Grimm, he wasn't sure. He followed it carefully, just in case it was a trick of the mind. "Winter's going to kill me if she finds out about this." He said, leaning on another tree trunk to take another swig of booze from his flask.

"Okay, jackass, think!" He demanded of himself. "Can't be that fuckin' hard to find him…not like he just up and vanished."

He closed his eyes to ward away the hangover he had been nursing, thinking about where he could search next. He rubbed his face, the stubble poking roughly into his hand. He looked like hell, but he could hardly bring himself to care. Rubbing his hands together, and breathing warm air into them to ward away the chill, he began to get just a little anxious. Already, he could feel the wrath of the boy's older sister just as soon as she found out the truth.

He had to do something before then.

He recalled why he had been given the task to babysit the youngest of the Schnee siblings. It was a messy, family related ordeal. Apparently the rebellious middle child had been cast aside, and Winter had been furious to find out. She retaliated against her father, and stormed out of the house, her youngest sibling in tow. She didn't think it wise to leave the boy at home, making her a kidnapper. Of course, she couldn't expect to protect the boy on her own in the wilds filled with Grimm, so, she had called the one hunter she knew trustworthy enough, discrete enough, to take the job without asking any questions.

Winter had been rather occupied on her travels, leading them to Mistral, where she suspected Weiss to be.

Qrow insisted that staying in any of the populated areas might put them under scrutiny. Winter was inclined to agree. They set up a camp in the old bandit territory. Winter thought it to be a place of degenerates, she often complained as much. Still, Qrow insisted they stay here. He knew these forests, living among them when he was just a child himself. No one would think to look for a Schnee in these parts.

There was only one problem.

No one would even dare lose a Schnee in these wilds, either. If a bandit got to him, Whitley would be sold off too fast for Qrow to catch him. The drunk man worried that might be the case. With his stomach growling, he only had time to grab a piece of beef jerky from his pocket. Biting into it, he continued on his trail. "Alright then, squirt, where'd you get to?"

"Qrow Branwen!"

He flinched under the fury in that voice.

"Yo?"

"Where is my little brother?"

"Oh, son of a bitch…" Qrow muttered to himself. He could see the white haired woman, garbed in an equally bright uniform. It was hardly made for subtly, as she marched through the trees and bushes. Winter was going to try and murder him, and he was just drunk enough that she might actually succeed this time. Everyone knew her time in the Atlas military had honed her skills to a fine point. She had a harsh personality, strict and stringent to go along with it.

She didn't tolerate lapses of oversight from anyone, and downright sloppiness was a direct invitation to provoke her ire.

Qrow rolled his eyes, ready to defend himself as he considered every excuse in the book. Then, he foggily realized, he had none. A huntsman of his caliber didn't just lose a child in the woods. It was impossible, and negligent. He just deserved what he got, so he stood quietly and waited for her approach.

"Qrow." She spoke, her voice dry and distinct. It was a bad sign to see her so cold and calculated.

"Winter." Qrow parroted back. It was a dumb move, he knew, but there were just some things that were unavoidable.

Winter looked the man up and down. She could tell that he was drunk, which only fouled her temper more than before. With a calm indifference drilled into her by her training, she blinked, schooling her hot tempered retorts. "You are drunk."

"Astute observation." Qrow muttered.

"I ordered you to maintain sobriety on this mission." She told him for what seemed the umpteenth time.

"So ya did… I didn't feel like listening." He might have been three sheets to the wind, but he wasn't completely stupid. He knew a beautiful woman when he saw one, and Winter was stunning. Alabaster skin, pure and without a blemish. Long limbs, powerful and defined, without being overbearing. A mask of neutrality that rarely wavered. Smiling only in the presence of her siblings. Frowning only when in the deepest rage. She was a mystery to most, refusing to allow most people in her life to know the depths of her mind…and most certainly not her heart.

"I noticed." She replied, with the same forced calmness instilled into her by her upbringing. She was the first born daughter of the Schnee family, the highest of Atlas aristocracy. Her long flowing tresses of white hair were kept prim and proper, tightly wound in a bun, a single delicate tendril framing one side of her face. She carried herself with decorum, even while in the messy forest. No one would think she had been camping out here for days.

No one, but Qrow. "Good, you can keep noticing. Meanwhile, I'll keep drinking." He said, wiggling his flask. "This baby isn't going anywhere."

"Unless you want me to slice out that tongue of yours, I'd suggest you start talking." She intoned with that same frozen disposition. She didn't tolerate failure from anyone, not even him. Their friendship was not enough to keep her from swift retribution, if she deemed him deserving of such a thing. "Where is Whitley?"

There were times he would playfully provoke her, but this would not be it. Winter Schnee, to those who knew her, understood her to be cold, distant, and unusually cruel…but Qrow was different. He knew the truth. He knew as a fact, Winter was fiercely loyal to those she cared for…and she loved her siblings deeply, both of them. That she was even in Mistral at all proved she would go to the ends of Remnant just to keep them safe. "I don't know. The damn kid wandered off."

"I see." Winter closed her eyes, reminding herself that now was not the time to fight with a man who struggled to keep himself upright. There would be time for that later. For now she summoned a great white beast from her glyph. "My brother is missing." She told the towering wolf Grimm. "Find him at once so that we may retrieve him." She ordered, the creature easily picking up the boy's scent to do his master's bidding. "Come along, Qrow." She ordered, already keeping in step with her monstrous creature.

"Right." Qrow said, rolling his eyes. "Completely forgot you had a pack of those demon puppies."

At this, Winter raised her hand, smacking Qrow on the back of the head. "Contemptable bastard."

"Haven't killed me yet." He grunted, though he felt, this time, he had truly dodged a bullet.


	9. Chapter 9

**Next Update, Friday, May 4th.**

 **Chapter 9**

Raven had never thought herself to be a good mother. She didn't even think herself to be an adequate babysitter.

She was not particularly calm, and she wasn't easy to get along with. Small minds agitated her, and even her own child had once been a constant fuel for her ire. Children were raised away from the bandit camps. Mothers would take their children and safely tuck themselves away in hideouts where the children would be watched over. Eventually, they return to the camp to receive proper training.

Spouses and extended relatives would visit the mothers and their children often, but they would quickly return the camp to attend their own duties. The safety measures might have seemed extreme, but, they ensured the protection of the entire bandit camp.

However, it was this little detail that made upheaving an entire camp dangerous and difficult as well.

The mothers, and their children, would have to move with the rest of the bandits. They'd need to travel as a full tribe with homes and resources packed away for the long journey. A new place to hide them would have to be located. If things went sour, Raven would have several young children, and many pregnant women unable to engage in combat.

Under those conditions, it would make fighting even Grimm a messy situation.

"What are these chains for?" The white haired, blue eyed boy in her company asked. His fingers shook the chains, rattling them loudly.

The racket pulled Raven from her thoughts, and she casually looked over to see what he was doing. She had conveniently forgotten just how curious children could be in the face of knickknacks they'd never seen before.

"Traps." She told him. "I need them for food."

"This metal jaw? That's a trap too?"

"Don't touch that." She muttered, more for his own safety, rather than concern. "It's for large animals. It'll break human bone if it recoils."

He nodded, leaving the heavy bear trap alone. "Well, what are these?"

"Grimm masks."

"What about those?" He said stepping outside her line of sight.

By the sounds of metal scraping against brick, she knew exactly what it was without having to look. "Tools. I use them to repair my sword."

"Oh." He said quietly. "What about that?"

This time, she didn't have any of his curious racket to go off of, and cracked an eye open. "Weapons, to hunt Grimm. From left to right, a cross-bow, bolts for it, knives, those two wooden bats with spikes are called maces, and I have more where that came from."

"Cool…" He breathed.

"You like my weapons?"

The boy nodded. "I've only seen swords….lots and lots of swords…"

Raven nodded at this, and sipped on the drink on her hand. Her bare feet rested on the stone slab jutting out from the fireplace. She was careful not to get too close, but it felt good to heat them after such a long walk. The warmth sinking into her sore bones. It was less taxing than heating water for a bath, too, which she was too tired to think about doing. "You still won't tell me your name. If you don't, I can't do anything for you."

"My name…" He frowned. "It doesn't matter."

"Suit yourself." Raven shrugged. "I don't care how long you stay here, but don't expect me to look out for you. I like being on my own."

"Why?" He asked.

"It's just the way things are, kid." She told him. "It's been that way for me for a long time."

"Oh…" He murmured, trailing off.

"You've got no family. At least, that's what you said. Lucky for you, there are places for people like that." Raven explained, emotionally distant. "Places where a kid like you can be trained how to be a man. You're just about old enough to learn that way of life. It might be good for you, if you truly don't have anywhere else."

The boy looked at her questioningly.

She just shrugged. "Just think about it, that's all I'm saying." Raven settled back into her seat and yawned as a loud knock came to her door. The bandit grumbled to herself as she downed the rest of her drink. She reached for her sword before getting up to answer the door. She turned to the boy in her possession. "Stay out of sight."

"Why?"

"Just do it." It was the only warning she would offer, as she opened the door. What stood on the other side shocked her.

It finally all made sense, too much sense.

"Release my brother this instant." Winter Schnee demanded loudly enough for her bother to hear her. The white Grimm at her side huffed, ready to fight if ordered to do so.

"Winter!" The short haired boy rejoiced, rushing to her side, nearly tackling her as he flung his arms around her waist.

"Whitley." She addressed him smoothly. "I'm glad to see you are well. Now, listen and stay back." She brushed him behind her, placing herself between her younger sibling and the woman in front of her. "Perhaps you'd like to tell me why my little brother ended up here, of all places."

"Found him, and he followed me like a duck." Raven just snorted, leaning heavily on her doorframe. "Brats do that from time to time. I'm more interested in why you're here in my forest."

"Oh, let's not do this pissing match." A man grumbled, is words slurred as if he were completely sloshed. "Alright, we got the kid, already, so let's go!"

Raven knew that voice anywhere. "Qrow, you asshole, get off my property!"

"Well, fuck you too." He groused, middle finger outstretched. He lost his balance, falling into the small garden she maintained in order to grow food.

"Elegant as always." Raven said with a shake of her head. "Dumbass." Then her gaze lifted to Winter. "No wonder he looked so familiar, he's Jacques' brat. What's that bastard Schnee done now, and why the hell have you invaded my domain?"

"None of that is your concern, I'd ask you not to bother involving yourself in this matter further..." Winter began, a glance to her brother the only slightly betraying her thoughts. "I'm sure the bandit queen has other concerns. This is a trivial matter for the likes of you."

"The hell it is." Raven groused, realizing all too well the murmurs likely circling this forest. "All the tribes are going to shit a brick if they find out about this. It'll be like the bandit Olympics, who get's the kid first? He'll be a prize, Schnee."

"Which is why I demand that you don't say a word about this." Winter replied darkly. "As I've said, my brother is of little concern to you."

"Do you realize what a kid like him is actually worth?" Raven pointed out. "Are there any more of you idiot blue bloods in the area, or is it just you two?"

"Winter…" Whitley spoke softly, gaining his sister's attention. "She's a huntress. She has all kinds of stuff in there that she uses. Oh, and she lives here all by herself. She's like a one woman village, isn't that awesome?"

Winter's deep blue eyes moved up and down Raven's body thoughtfully. Her study was a slow one, as though memorizing every tiny inch upon her form, and contrasting it with Qrow's own. Raven scowled at being gawked at so openly, even as a blush intend her cheeks regardless. If she had to admit it to herself, Winter Schnee was quite a fetching woman in her own right. The two continued to stare at each other, both refusing to back down.

Finally, Winter came to some sort of conclusion. Whatever it was, it remained a mystery to Raven. The two shared their lingering gaze a single moment longer. Then, Winter blinked, and looked to her sibling. "She isn't a huntress, Whitley, she's a bandit from a tribe that lives in this area."

"She must be a nice bandit then." He said.

"There is no such thing. Bandits, even one like her, cannot be trusted. We have to return to our own camp. It's too dangerous for you out here in the woods at night." She said to him as placidly as possible. She would give him a firm talking to later, when she wasn't afraid of a bandit ambush. "We must leave."

"Oh…" Dejectedly, he nodded. "Can't we stay, just a little longer?"

"No, it would be rude." Winter said pointedly. "Besides, tactically it would disadvantage us. Faunus can see clearly in the dark, Qrow and I won't be able to protect you." She turned, and began to usher her brother away from the small cottage, only to pause and turn back once more. "I trust there will be no more problems in the future."

Raven just huffed. "With Qrow around, don't count on it." She shot back, slamming the door behind her. Then, as an afterthought, it swung back open a moment later. "And for god's sake, keep the little shit out of sight!"


	10. Chapter 10

**Next Update: Monday, May 7th**

 **Chapter 10**

 **(Time: Day Four of the cracked lunar year.  
Location: On the Island of Menagerie.)**

Another day of hunting went smoothly. This time, Blake was sure to leave Yang behind so as not to wound anymore of the blonde's sensibilities. With fish procured from a nearby stream, and a few small animals in hand, the girls finally had enough to bring home to their families. Blake and Kali reminisced about Blake's first successful hunt on her own, and the complete mess it had turned into when Blake accidentally charged into the muddy waters of a bog while in pursuit of a bullfrog.

"That was before I was given my first weapon." Blake grumbled, hoping to clarify why she went running after her pray to begin with. "Besides, I caught it didn't I?"

"Yes dear, although it was the only thing your group of trainees managed to catch that day." Kali replied. "As I recall, you and Neon wandered off. I had to pull the two of you out of a tree several hours later."

"Frog legs are a delicacy." It was a weak retort, all things considered. Blake clung to it all the same. "Besides, the only reason we wandered off was because our clothes were wet, and we wanted them to dry."

Kali raised a knowing eyebrow, which caused Blake to avert her gaze, glaring daggers into the ground underfoot.

"Don't look at me like that. What took you so long to find us back then, anyway?" Blake asked.

"You act as if I'd actually lost you, but that was hardly the case. I wasn't too far away." Kali said then. "I knew the two of you were fooling around in those bushes. I could have scolded you, of course, I thought of doing strictly that. However, it was the first time you'd ever willingly left my side, Blake. I was furious with you, but if I'd let that fury dictate my actions at the time, I was positive that you wouldn't draw anything meaningful from the experience."

"So you actually let that Ursa chase us?"

"It was almost a guarantee that your racket would agitate it. Besides, it was a small one. Terrifying for you, but hardly a threat with me being so close by." The older Faunus said, her tone light and airy, in spite of the conversation. "A little healthy fear was the best teacher at the time. Besides, you had a different upbringing compared to the other villagers. My expectations of you were vastly different than my expectations for Neon."

Blake nodded at that, frowning a bit in deep thought. When she was little, she was never one to be off of her mother's hip. In her earliest years of life, she trailed after her mother like a shadow, spending time outside of the village walls before she had even grown out of diapers, as was custom of the Faunus nomads from the mainland, where Kali hailed from.

The guards hated it, and Ghira had only allowed it because he knew better than to argue with his mate.

After all, being a mother was Kali's primary task in the village at the time. She held the authority over Blake's wellbeing, and no one was to question it. Her child was to be with her at all times, and Kali stood firm on that subject. Not even Ghira could sway her. As Kali's only child, Blake has the luxury of her mother's undivided attention as a youth. Very few cat faunus would ever know the sort of upbringing Blake had. She never needed to share her mother's tutelage, since Blake never ended up with any siblings.

The elder cat Faunus recalled quite happily the way Blake would toddle after the butterflies in the wilds. Pouncing on them, and often missing the brightly colored creatures. With her first fish successfully nabbed on a hook by the age of five, Blake had already began chasing after rabbits and other small animals well before being considered an adult in the village. For years, Blake would come back empty handed. A mouth full of bitter foliage, or a face full of dirt for her trouble.

Back then, she was hardly the intimidating huntress that she was today.

Much to Blake's dismay, her mother found such youthful failures to be adorable, and happily told the stories of such unfortunate incidents on their walk back that evening. The girls in their care laughed at Blake's expense, earning a scowl that Blake had obviously learned by the Belladonna patriarch himself. Yet, due to Kali's snickering, the girls were hardly intimidated by the display. They even laughed harder as the Belladonna matriarch flicked her daughter's ear teasingly for her trouble.

Upon arrival to the village gates, the parties had already started once again.

This night in the village would be perfect. Not a single ill omen ahead to be worried about, the moment a fortuitous one. Blake felt a smile tug at her lips. The festivities were already in full swing, the Faunus of Menagerie once again seeking suitors in the weeklong celebration of parties, feasts, and ceremony. Blake's many wards stayed near her side for safety as she saw them off to each of their respective families.

Some of the older noble girls stayed with Blake. The youths spending the time to learn the complex social nature of Faunus culture. When it came to high ranking people, such as themselves, the mating bylaws were extensive. This was the perfect learning opportunity, and watching Blake conduct her own proceedings would prove beneficial for these young noble girls as they grew older.

They watched in awe as she shared tea and a few moments with each interested passerby. Blake, for her part, respected this part of the ceremonies, but held no interest in it personally.

She calmly turned down another offering, this time a roll of soft silk. She told the hopeful man with antlers that while she appreciated his sentiment, she couldn't settle for a fisherman's son. The next man in line approached her with a gift of flowers, the tusked male a simple florist and basket weaver. He was a well-spoken, older gentleman, with a family of his own already. His first mate was older now, and could no longer safely carry children. He was looking to expand his family, and thought Blake would be a perfect addition.

Gently and kindly, Blake turned him away too. She refused to accept a mate with so many prior obligations, and told him so. She would only accept a mate willing to absorb into the Belladonna family. She would not deviate from her own family merely to be absorbed into another. A woman was the next in line to step up, a fellow cat Faunus from a nearby village on the island. She came looking in search of breeding female her son. Of course, Blake couldn't accept. She'd never leave her own village, not when she was the only heir.

The next in line to step up was a friendly face, but, he obviously knew he wasn't in the running.

"Hey." The monkey Faunus said with a smirk. "Thought you could use some company."

"Take a seat." She invited, hearing the grumbles in the line waiting behind him. That she favored Sun went without question, and it always bothered the other villagers.

"Relax, my dudes." Sun said loudly to the people waiting in line. "If I was in the running, you all wouldn't even be here." The majority of them were young men. He turned back to Blake, and could tell that she was exhausted. "Tough crowd, isn't it?" He said, pouring the carafe of vodka and orange juice into two small cups.

"You have no idea." She said, gazing up at the broken moon. "I don't know how much more of this I can take."

"As many as there are people in line." Sun said quietly enough not to be overheard from beyond his places at the table. He looked behind Blake to the snickering young girls eyeing him, and paled. "Holy merciful crap. Must be something in the water."

"Something like that." Blake smirked.

"Why are there so many of them?" He asked, knowing full well, the hand full of young noble women were eyeing him like a chew toy.

Blake only shook her head. "Don't let the girls intimidate you. Their ogling doesn't mean you any harm, most of them are first timers."

"Ah…" He said slowly, picking his cup up with his tail and sipping from it. Using Faunus appendages at the table could be considered rude, but he only smirked at his as he looked over her shoulder again. "I don't care how many times I see it, I just don't get it…" The tittering on from the peanut gallery continued. "Seeing that mob of hormones behind you kinda makes me glad there's no breeding season for monkey Faunus. It doesn't really matter when our women mate, so they aren't as crazy during the festivals."

"There are some species who only have one optimal season, and that's why these festivals occur all over Menagerie depending on the time of year." Blake replied, eyes narrowed as she lowered her voice. "I'm not so lucky, since my heat will come and go until fall, which is exactly why I make you wear a condom whenever we rut…which is all we do, and that begs the question… _what are you doing here, Sun_?" The last part of her question was a low growl.

"Well, you know...the festival seems so exciting and all..."

"That's the largest load of crap I've heard from you in a while." Blake deadpanned, flicking her ear in agitation. "Neon's probably going stir-crazy, and you left her like that."

"Relax, I already took care of it."

"I know her stamina, so I doubt that. I sent her to you, because I knew you would respect her wishes."

Sun just rolled his eyes. "To be honest, I'm here because Yang's a little bit worried you're overdoing it again."

At Yang's name, Blake perked up. "She's worried?" She asked, sipping the cold fruity drink in front of her.

"Well, yeah. I mean, you never seem to catch a break, and she totally knows it." He said, pouring himself more of the sweet drink before topping Blake's cup politely. "Being a good friend and all, I figured I'd check in on you…you know, since she's not allowed passed the guards…"

This greatly displeased the cat Faunus. "Why can't she get passed the guards?"

"Well, uh, she's human, and all."

"So what?" Blake half snarled. "She's always been human. What's it matter now?"

"Dunno why, but you heard me loud and clear." Sun said. "The guards are being all uppity again about giving Yang free reign to wander around wherever she wants to go. She thought punching Corsac onto oblivion would piss you off, so she rang me up. I got in line to check on you…glad I did, that line was way too long."

"I'll deal with it." She said, standing up slowly. "Girls, Sun's going to chaperone you for a second while I go deal with something. Stay put. Don't move, and don't torture the daylights out of him."

"Hey, wait, whoa, don't leave me here stranded like that!" Sun protested. "Not with them. Besides I'm a dude, it's against the tradition."

Yet Blake only narrowed her eyes. "Watch them." She demanded, a glint twinkling in the depths of her eyes that promised retribution for insubordination of any kind. She trusted him with their safety a great deal. She knew he could be counted on, in spite of his reluctance. "I'll only be a moment."

He gulped back his retorts and nodded, even as the girls continued to eye him like a piece of meat.

Blake strode down a set of steps, looking stunning in her black kimono with shimmering white flecks of dust. The sparkles decorating the otherwise plain fabric. Reaching the bottom of the steps, she looked to the two brothers, holding back a snarl as she eyed them in her fury. The human woman was still arguing with them.

"Yang." She said, addressing the blonde standing off to the side. "Follow me." It was a simple order, but it pulled a smile from her all the same.

At the annoyed looks of the guards, Yang was more than happy to comply.

Blake narrowed her eyes at the guards, but she said nothing, a wordless show of fang and the glower to match. It accomplished more than words could among Faunus culture. With the smell of rage wafting off of her, they knew her thoughts on the topic quite quickly, and averted their gazes downward before provocation took place. A public display of dominance wouldn't behoove them.

There were few who would even think to challenge Blake, fewer still with the capabilities for doing. Absolutely no one could do so without also provoking Ghira himself. No one would dare display dominance over the chieftain, it was the worst offense a Faunus could possibly commit.

"Come along." Blake groused, leading the blonde back up the stairs, the Faunus sighed. "You always cause such a rucks without meaning to, Yang. You know better than to interrupt my mating proceedings." Blake scolded gently. "What I can't understand is why…"

"You'll be here for hours." Yang said with a roll of her eyes. "And don't think I'm oblivious. I know how hard you've been working even though it's the festival."

"The festival isn't a reason to slack off. The people count on me." Blake replied. "If you want to be up here, fine, but you'll have to sit behind me with the rest of the girls. Even if I'm just going to turn these people down, it would be rude of me not to at least hear them out." With a long, tired sigh, she looked back to Yang with a frown. "Besides, one day we will have to choose a man to sire my offspring. It would be nice if the father of choice was your mate as well."

"Yeah, well…ya know…we'll think about that later…"

Blake would have none of Yang's avoidance of the topic. Her eyes saying as much as her gaze leveled on Yang. "It would please me to see you carrying a child alongside me. Many Faunus women enjoy that luxury, sharing in that special time. It would please our mate too, I'm sure. The man that I decide on, should be one you would like to breed with as well. Keep that in the back of your mind, at least."

Yang only laughed a little uneasily at the idea of being a parent. "Hey now, gimmie a couple of years before we start thinking about all of that. Kids are a big change. Huge, ya know?" She said, though the way she tangled her fingers with Blake's own softened her reluctance. "I'm going to go sit with the others, _try_ not to overdue it."

Blake reached out and grabbed Yang's hand. "Wait a moment, Yang. It is a festival, and we should enjoy ourselves. Sun's already here, and we have some more time." Blake said with a soft smile. "Since he so willingly provided us something to drink, I think we should take a moment to relax. I could use a break before the proceedings continue."

"So, uh…you want me to sit with you?" Yang asked, mildly shocked. "Like, up here, where I'm _not_ supposed to be?"

"Yes, indeed." Blake responded as she sat back down on the large, low cushion. "Join me at the table for just one drink. Please, Yang, let me at least pretend we can observe the same traditions my people do."

"Yeah, but Blake, I don't have a gift."

"The gift of your company will always be enough for me." Blake said, giving Yang another little tug in the direction of the table.

Yang felt a smirk drag across her face. With an earnest request like that, how could Yang possibly refuse?


	11. Chapter 11

**Next Update: Friday April 11th.**

 **Chapter 11**

Ghira Belladonna envied his daughter's position at the nearby table. Her line of suitors growing smaller by the hour. She'd seemed refreshed and renewed after one of those humans of hers came for a visit. It was against the rules, but Ghira doubted Blake cared. With the way she entertained herself with the humans in her household, he knew she thought significantly of them. Of course she would allow one of them up on the observation stage.

As much as he wanted to scold her for it, he had his own personal tribulations to deal with, and he couldn't leave his post.

Ghira liked to think himself a smart man, or at the very least, one who wasn't completely daft. He also liked to think of himself as an educated person, with well thought out speeches, and carefully laid plans. If little else, he thought himself a fitting chieftain, because his efforts had always been to his greatest abilities. However, for all of his pride, and several accolades, he often thought of himself as a terrible mate to Kali, and a poor father to Blake.

These were not weak assumptions, and they weren't based on pure conjecture.

Rather, they were made based on his assumptions as a male. Kali was of weak constitution when it came to the burden of bearing him many offspring. She miscarried several litters before they'd been blessed with a single child, Blake. Kali tried to bear more children after that, but two more miscarriages followed. It was around that time that they stopped trying to force more children, and Kali turned every effort into securing the Belladonna family name by raising Blake to take her father's title.

However, even if he and his mate had chosen not to bear more offspring, Kali was far from finished when it came to securing the Belladonna bloodline.

He sipped on his tea as he watched the many females approach Kali, gaining her blessing before approaching him. He grumbled as Kali let another female pass her interview. He hid a frown behind his drink. Ghira had to at least allow the woman the courtesy of his attention, but that didn't mean he had to like it. He certainly didn't plan to claim another breeding female, not even a nomadic female from the mainland. He didn't care how far these women traveled just to seek his approval, they would not get it.

When his mate approached him, it was with a human woman this time, which surprised him even more. "Ghira, I would like to present to you my final choice of this evening, Pyrrha Nikos. A huntress from Blake's personal command."

"I know who she is, dear." Ghira said to her as he opened his large hand outward, to extend the invitation to sit down. This was either some sort off prank, or the women in his life conspiring against him. He wasn't sure which. "What I'd like to know, is why she's here."

"Blake requested it." Pyrrha said lightly. "She said that it would be for the betterment of Menagerie if the Belladonna line were to be extended. She requested I make a case that if you will not choose a Faunus woman to help maintain the line, that perhaps you'd consider a human woman. Although you run the risk of the children being human, and multiples are not common in my family, you'd gain the benefit of diversity. Something that can only strengthen the goals of Faunus worldwide."

"And you're in just the right position, not to mention, you're self-sacrificing enough to do it." Ghira grumbled.

Pyrrha looked away at the snippet of a detail. She worked alongside Ghira often, her skill in battle was something even he could not overlook. She was an asset to the Faunus community as well, having the bloodline of a Niko's was no small matter. She was the youngest unmarried daughter of an aristocrat, and she often took tea with the human traders that passed by. Without her diplomatic efforts, Menagerie would not receive such strong support from the great kingdom she hailed from.

She was a self-sacrificing soul, too. Bound far more by duty, than by personal desire. It was then that he guiltily realized, Pyrrha would be an all too obedient mate. There was something inherently desirable about any woman who so easily bent to his whims. Human or not, her qualities more than made up for any shortcomings someone might accuse her of.

"I will do what is asked of me." Pyrrha said then. "Whatever it is, that you ask of me."

"I had thought I'd made my intentions on the subject clear to Blake most of all. She is the entire future of Menagerie, I will not be expanding the line." Ghira told Pyrrha. "And while I understand my daughter's ideology, and her desires to make Menagerie the first truly unified safe-hold between humans and Faunus, I think it's not very reasonable."

"Isn't it, though?" Pyrrha asked.

"I don't know, Pyrrha." He said ever so thoughtfully. "However, I do know this. Change must come from somewhere. If that is to happen, then it will not happen in my reign. Those are her reforms, her visions, and not mine. I doubt I'd ever be able to implement them properly, and if I failed to do so, it would be a perversion if her intent to protect this island. Therefore, those changes must come from her, not me."

"And there's your answer." Kali replied, already expecting this. Gently, she rested a hand on Pyrrha's shoulder. "I'm glad you would even think to go to such lengths when it doesn't benefit you at all to do so. However, I've known your mother for a long time, Pyrrha. She would not want you to be unhappy. If you've written to her, saying you've found someone in your life worthwhile, that's one thing. But, if you write to her about an arrangement that won't make you happy, she would be so very disappointed."

"I came to Menagerie to help ease the political tensions between Faunus and humans. That was the one thing I was asked to do. I feel, that in some capacity, Blake's right. If I were to carry your children it would send a rather direct message to the world. Given my personal station, as well as yours…perhaps entirely because of yours, it wouldn't be easily ignored. Humans would have to take notice. This was not a conclusion I came to lightly. I've given it some very deep thought."

"Not when it came to your own happiness, you didn't." Ghira grumbled then. "I am not the sort of man that would make you happy…and furthermore…" He trailed off, looking to Kali. "I don't need, nor do I want, another mate." Then he glanced back to Pyrrha. "Nor do you truly want to mate with me…thank you, though, Pyrrha. It's humans like you that give me hope. It makes me believe Blake's plans to make a truly unified Menagerie just might be possible…just maybe…"

"When it comes to the unity of humans Faunus, I believe it can be done sooner than you think." Pyrrha said then, poised and thoughtful. "However, I also think at first it would be a very limited success. Living together equally is no small task. It would require a level of empathy that the current villages and kingdoms do not provide. What we have at Blake's household is a very rare circumstance. Even if you were to replicate it amongst an entire like-minded community, the truth is that the rules of the world would likely swallow it whole."

"In what manner?" Ghira asked, obviously intrigued what the human had to say on the topic.

"If someone were to make a village such as what Blake proposes, then the moment you stepped outside such a village's boarders, Faunus and humans would still be at odds. Life outside the village would not have changed. What Blake desires is not a simple solution…then again, so long as there is a faction of likeminded souls who believe it's possible, then it has no choice but to come to fruition eventually."

"And would a fraction of you split off, to do as Blake wished?" Ghira asked. "To make a village of your own, where such a thing is possible?"

"I have my uses here." Pyrrha smiled at this and stood to excuse herself, the audible sigh of relief clear on her face. "Besides, I think we can both agree matters of the heart are more complicated than that. The people I live alongside, are people I would never be able to walk away from. They are my family, this village is my home, and Blake's household is my sanctuary. I don't think I could ever bring myself to leave all of that behind. I wouldn't want to."

"I see." Ghira said, his nod slight, but there all the same. He watched Pyrrha leave, and found himself even more confused about the human population than ever before. In his youth, he'd tried to build bridges between them, forced himself to battle hard for the equality of all Faunus, only to fail.

Blake, his only daughter was doing that same battle now, in a vastly different way. He couldn't help but feel guilty all over again for maintaining his stance on the topic. Maybe she was already doing too much. Perhaps, he was putting too much pressure on Blake to carry the family line. Perhaps, he should take another Faunus woman into his household, and raise more children under his roof. He found himself lost in his vortex of thought until he heard Kali laugh at his expense.

"What's gotten into you now?" She asked, lifting her hand, allowing her fingers to smooth away the crease in his brow. "You only scowl in such a way when you're thinking deeply on something."

"I only scowl in such a way when my mate and my daughter conspire against me." Ghira returned evenly, the impish smirk refusing to leave her face even under his stern gaze. "Sometimes I wonder if you wish for me to take a second mate so that you too, can reap the rewards of such an arrangement."

"And what would those rewards be, I wonder?" Kali replied with an upraised eyebrow. "Just what sort of troublesome antics do you think I'd get up to, exactly?"

This was what he liked about her, Ghira was sure. He was an imposing man. A cat Faunus male, with a towering height and powerful build. That she was hardly intimidated for all of the reasons she should be, meant a great deal to him. Kali had always proven herself to be a docile, yet difficult mate to contend with. She always kept him busy, never allowing his mind or his efforts to idle. He had no words for all of it, but he was thankful for that, truly.

"That isn't something I'd know unless you'd get up to them, now isn't it?" He said with a shrug.

In this she nodded, looking out to the many peoples, and the partiers that would stay out until sunrise. "I'll admit, we've never had what one would call a lively household, and in some part, I'm to blame for that. This time of year serves as a reminder that it doesn't have to be that way. I recall what it was like growing up, my father kept many women in his bed, and as such, I enjoyed the pleasure of over twenty siblings. I was never without someone by my side. I know you grew up differently, but, even so…"

"Suppose I were to take another mate. If that mate were to become pregnant, she would need to become my top priority, the resulting litter soon after." Ghira replied earnestly. "My father, as chieftain, spent too many nights away from home. Too many nights, he was focused on the people, and I should have been unquestionably proud of him for that. Instead, although I never said it out loud, I'd always hated him for not being around. Leaving my mother and I on our own for so long, the way he did. I promised myself the day I became chieftain, that I would not neglect the duties of my own household first and foremost."

In that, he'd sworn to himself, he would not waver.

"There were so many things I missed out on when it came to Blake. So many more things I had to set aside when it came to you. I regret those things, even though I know at the time, I had no other option." He licked his lips, his eyes gazing over his many peoples. "I know I would not have time to take another mate. Some men, like your father, they can manage many mates. They can keep a large family, and their people happy at the same time. Some men can do it seemingly effortlessly, but I am not such a person. I never have been, and I never will be."


	12. Chapter 12

**AYangThang** : I have no idea why on Monday I thought we were still in the month of April...that's what happens when I update while stressed and tired I guess...lol...in any case, hope you all like the fiction so far. Onward to the next chapter.

 **Next update: Tuesday, May 15th**

* * *

 **Chapter 12  
** **(** ** **Day Five, of the cracked lunar year.  
Location: Island of Menagerie.)****

Blake woke up with a faint headache that nagged at her senses. Vaguely she noticed she was lacking her clothes, but thanks to the warm morning, that didn't matter too much.

The only thing keeping her from snarling at the morning sun was the woman in her bed. Blake smirked to herself when she saw the pleasant sight. Yang, carelessly leaving herself on display. Nakedly splayed across the bed in a vain attempt at keeping cool. Her wild mane of hair offered little modesty as the long tendrils cascaded over her. Remembering her own state of undress, Blake worked at pulling the sheet up over their bodies. It was a chore with Yang half laying on top of them, but the Faunus managed it without waking the woman.

Thankfully, the blonde was known for being a heavy sleeper.

Reaching behind her, Blake grabbed the bottle of water that she kept at her bedside. She was parched and drank greedily from the bottle. It seemed to be unseasonably hot, and Blake hated the thought that this year they may break new record highs. Uncaring of the few water droplets than managed to escape her mouth, she sighed, feeling them cooling her heated skin. As they rolled down her chin, disappearing between the swell of her breasts, she paid them very little mind.

With no actual desire to get up, she capped the now empty bottle and set it aside, forgotten. Instead, the Faunus admired her bedfellow. Blake had always appreciated the female form. She found it graceful in all of its many shapes and sizes. The best part of it all was that Yang was beautiful, impossibly so.

Blake made no excuses for keeping several very attractive women at her side. Yang was special though. Different than the others. She doubted Yang even realized it herself. The blonde was rougher around the edges. A boxer, using her fists to do the talking. It was funny in a way, and yet, also terribly tragic. Yang was graced with all of the endowments a beautiful woman should be. Yet, she was also the sort that didn't seem to pay any mind to it.

Her snoring was as graceless as could be, and her mutterings harbored dirty promises.

Blake knew such things would have just as easily slid out of Yang's mouth if she was in one of her tempers. Yang wasn't the sort of woman that could be understood by her words alone, and her looks were a complete misnomer. With a somewhat sly smirk, the Faunus reached out her hand, caressing the blonde's abs. She could never get tired of feeling them flex a little under her fingertips.

A gentle knock and the creaking of the door provoked Blake ire, and she withheld a growl. "What is it?" She asked with vitriol, a bad habit of being disturbed just as she had woken up.

It was Neon who peered through the door, her usual pep gone as she rubbed at one of her eyes. Her tail dragging behind her limply, as if she too, had been disturbed from her rest. "Chieftain Belladonna is waiting for you in the main room. Something about wanting to speak with you…but, I'm not really all that sure."

"Damn it, what could he possibly want so early in the day?" Blake grunted, dragging herself from the bed, her lower back protesting the action. "Keep Yang in bed, let her sleep. I want everyone out culling the larger Grimm for the next several nights in a row." Grabbing the first crumpled up robe she found on the floor, she quickly learned it was Yang's as the too long fabric dwarfed her beyond reason. "You'll have to team up with her, she can't see in the dark."

Neon nodded, muttering an agreement. She looked at Blake's bed and sleepily crawled up onto the corner where most of the bedding was bunched up.

"Oh for god's sake…" Blake groused as she pulled the exhausted cat Faunus from her curled position and placed her in the bed properly, covering her in the sheets. Fittingly, it was at that time that Yang flopped over like a fish, half burying Neon under all of her blonde hair, an inelegant snore dropping from her lips. The usually peppy woman didn't seem to mind as she pulled her tail out from under Yang's hip. Neon's eyes drifted shut again as Blake let out a soft snort of amusement. "Real attractive you guys…"

Thinking very little of the display, she tiredly scratched the top of her head. She knew she shouldn't make her father wait. Locating a clean pair of underwear from the basket, she put them on before she meandered at a leisurely pace down the hall.

Blake found the man exactly where she expected to find him, in the main sitting room sipping on some iced tea. It shouldn't have been a surprise. He had a fondness for the drink, especially if it was Kali's special blend. One of the Faunus attendants following her father bowed to her, presenting a cup that had already been prepared to her liking. She wordlessly took it, taking a drink from the cool cup.

The taste was perfect. Chilled just enough to be crisp, a tiny hint of lemon.

Licking her lips, she then greeted her father. "This is a surprise. You were either woken up too early, or you slept in too late. I don't really care to guess which." She said to him knowingly. "You're here early, either way."

"Indeed." Ghira replied tiredly. "The ideal situation presented itself, so I made use of it."

"You mean, you escaped without waking mom. Don't you know what a shower is?" She grumbled, her nose picking up a stench that told her exactly why her father had likely snuck out of his house. Her mother's heat had finally hit, full force. "Just because I'm an adult, doesn't mean I want to know what my parents get up to."

"I could say the same about you." The man lowly returned, the two glaring at each other in a way that only they could understand. "You've been just as occupied. The scent is indecent."

Blake shrugged, not even going to deny it. "If you know that, you know why I don't want my own dad loitering around my house right now." Adjusting the lining of the robe, Blake yawned tiredly as she sat down, crossing one leg over the other. "I'm in heat." Blake gritted out, as though the man in front of her was somehow stupid. "Let's hear your excuse."

"Your mother." He half snarled, flinching when he moved the wrong way.

"Clawed you up good last night, didn't she?"

His only response was to send Blake something of a perturbed look, and with a soft nod he leaned forward to take the pressure off of his aching back. "You'd know all about that by now, I'd assume."

Her mind thought back to Yang, one of the few humans with the aura and the semblance to keep up with Blake's more primal nature. There were so few like it, able to be pushed to the brink without shattering. In fact, Yang liked it rough, and could give just as aggressively as she got. Yang truly had a habit of putting her through her paces, and self-consciously she placed a hand over her thigh where Yang had bitten her last night with her semblance active.

The bruise would take a little longer to heal, the residual soreness a pleasant one that Blake intended to keep around for as long as her suppressed aura permitted.

She knew that the moment it flared, all evidence of her coupling last night would be gone. It pained her to even consider that. Those passionate love bites were the only markings she had, the only proof of just what she and Yang shared. That would change soon though, Blake promised herself that she would see to it. Soon, there would be a much more important symbol, one for all to see.

Setting the matter aside, too great effort, but she managed to do it.

"Generally, I make a habit not to my claws on bedfellows." Blake said, looking out a nearby window, where a few colorful birds fluttered in a bird bath. "I keep humans here. They have fragile aura when they don't have their guard up. You have to be gentle with them, or they're likely to be hurt."

"Well, no matter what you do with the humans, you shouldn't let them lead you to distraction." Ghira replied. "I was told you turned down over half of the eligible tradesmen in the village, and no small few of the village guard. Men, women, it didn't seem to matter. You didn't take an interest in anyone?"

"Hmm, I did, and yet, I didn't. It's not the right time, at least that's the feeling I get." Blake said, offhandedly brushing aside his concern. "Is that why you're here? To lecture me about finding a breeding male?"

"I wish my reasons were so domestic." Ghira said as he reached for a small cookie that sat on the saucer between them. The light colored cookie sprinkled ever so carefully with powdered sugar met his scrutiny as he eyed it. "The truth is far less parental in nature. This morning I woke up to the displeasure of having a young woman named Weiss Schnee pounding on my door. At first, I thought she was looking for you, but I've come to find out that she wants me to pass judgement over the Atlas incident."

"That's fair." Blake said slowly watching her father eat the cookie, one of Pyrrha's specialties, and Blake's favorite sort. Not too sweet, with a lemon flavoring that made it perfect to take with tea. She reached for a cookie of her own. "You might want to hear her out, what with her being a Schnee, and all."

"Kali spoke with her on my behalf."

"That...couldn't have been good." Blake cringed, knowing her mother had a habit for hospitality that sometimes became excessive. "What did mom do this time?"

"The same thing she always does." Ghira grumbled. "She beseeched me to take a meal with the girl. I'm still considering it. Her demands go too far. I doubt I could even be civil on the topic."

"that bad?" Blake asked.

"She wants the lives of two White Fang members on a silver platter, and I cannot offer that."

"Does she want them executed?"

"No. Not in a manner of speaking. In the eyes of some, what she wants is even worse. She demanded that Atlas branch of the White Fang needed to be entirely removed from the kingdom." Ghira explained, the distaste in his tone clear as day. "Furthermore, regarding the two offenders in question, she wants them signed over as property to the SDC. Property! I couldn't believe it."

"I can. In fact, on some level, I expected it." Blake said sadly, her ears lowering sadly. "It was a possibility that the family would demand something like that. These are not uncommon requests, given the way Atlas view Faunus."

"She's been disowned on top of it, and blames the White Fang for the entire matter." Ghira continued. "The list of demands are her father's orders, but I cannot help but feel that she is pushing his agenda because she also believes in it."

"No, I doubt that." Blake said after some careful consideration. "Humans like Weiss aren't _that_ duplicitous. There's no reason for her to be. Reading the reports, I have no doubts that the vandalism was in fact just as damaging as reports say. They were written by Faunus, not humans. It's also true that the Atlas branch isn't exactly the most forward thinking. Weiss Schnee is a known sympathizer for Faunus kind, at least among our people, but….if word were to get out and reach her father…."

"I'm sure that's exactly what happened. He was displeased, and cast her aside accordingly. Still, her demands might sound more civil, but they are the same as his."

"Actions do have consequences." Blake muttered. "We can't defend violent acts of Faunus upon humans, _especially_ not in Atlas."

"But still, there's a limit to consequences too." He shook his head. "If I were to give two Faunus over to the Schnee family in chains, it would go against everything I personally believe in."

"I agree, we could never do that." Blake breathed. "I'd never as you to. However, I wouldn't be opposed to removing our White Fang representatives from Atlas."

He looked up at her. "What…?"

"That branch of the White Fang tends to act before thinking. They forget that their displays do have ramifications." Blake hated to agree with the angry human woman. Yet, she knew the sort of havoc the White Fang could sometimes bring to the table. "If she's been disowned, as the reports say, it doesn't matter. In the eyes of the people, she's still a Schnee who's been wronged by Faunus."

"I don't like what you're implying."

"Dad, think about it. You don't have to like it, but you have to know that if she speaks out, humans may retaliate."

"And those are my concerns." Ghira replied darkly. "I'm working some things out. In the meantime, I'd rather keep an eye on her. She has no place to go, anyway. A little hospitality and show of action on our end might be enough for her. I was thinking you could take her in."

"Are you really asking me to harbor a Schnee in my household?" Blake asked, half perplexed, and mildly annoyed.

"You've entertained her elder sister in the past, have you not?"

"Winter and I have agreements that benefit the island. If it wasn't for her influence, we'd never get our hands on medical grade dust. Our healthcare is some of the worst in the world, let's face it. Without Winter's support, we'd be back to bandages, herbs, and prayer." Blake said as she drank down the last of her tea. "This is a different situation."

"But, they are sisters, Blake. Kinfolk." Ghira replied. "Surely that means something to you…"

"To me, yes. Family and kinfolk should be at the forefront of all decisions related to household matters." Blake said softly. "However, I have no idea what it means to Winter. If she has disowned Weiss too, then taking her in would be a bad idea…"

"And, what about if she hasn't disowned her? Will she expect you to offer your support?"

Blake and Ghira shared a knowing glance. It was certainly a risk that neither one of them were willing to take.

"Very well." Blake replied, as she poured herself some more tea. "I shall bring her into my home as a guest after the festival. However, the arrangement shall only be temporary. In the meantime, I'm going to send Winter a letter detailing these decisions. You'll have to offer Weiss a guest room in your house until after the festival."


	13. Chapter 13

**Next update: Friday, May 18th**

 **Chapter 13**

The village matchmaker lived near the town square in a larger home than most. Several of her rooms catered to the needs of the people, and although they were sparsely furnished, they were often occupied. Blake visited the elderly Faunus often, keeping up on the latest village gossip. The matchmaker's duties were not strictly to make mating pairs within the village, but also so give guidance when and where she was asked to. Among her many duties, her most sought after task was to tattoo the emblems of mated pairs onto the lover's bodies.

It was a time honored tradition. What was once done entirely by hand and thin barbs, was now done by proper dust powered tattooing gun. The loud buzzing of the machine made many Faunus cringe as it assaulted their sensitive ears.

Blake recalled a time when it was done the old way. She had first visited the woman's home as a little girl, when she was given her family's crest. It had been a choice highly contested among the adults, even Ghira had thought Blake should wait until she was older, but Blake had insisted. As was her birthrate to uptake her crest, there was very little he could do to refuse her. Especially when he had decided Blake would be his only legacy to the Belladonna line.

Blake had come several times since then to have her tattoo amended several times, and to seek guidance over the mating bylaws. She had even made sure that there was nothing strictly denying the inclusion of humans, as such a thing would have made mating to Yang quite difficult. Thankfully, no such hindrances existed, even if the practice was unheard of in Menagerie.

Blake thought on this as she glanced down at her tattoo. It had received several touch-ups over the years. Recoloring and redesigning the scars that only being a huntress could bring. Her tattoo had longer leaves than both her mother and her father, additions she made after injuries that Blake wished to cover up. Het tattoo was also more vibrant in color than either of her parents, due to the constant additions to the coloring. Soon, it would be added to again, as another leaf would be placed, and perched upon it would be an emblem of Yang's choosing.

The blonde haired woman didn't have a family crest, but she had been instructed to make one. Yang, and all of her future children, would be marked with the emblem. To say Yang was nervous about the entire ordeal was an understatement. She'd redrawn her emblem hundreds of times, just to make sure she had it exactly right. Yet even on this day, during her first visit to the matchmaker for a consultation, she couldn't help but think back to her design and all of its little imperfections.

She really hoped Blake liked it. She was so focused on her own worries, she could barely keep up with the conversation that Blake was having with the elderly Faunus in front of them.

"I want her tattoo to be easily covered, but at the same time, easy to show off should she wish it." Blake said to the village match maker. "It should be someplace that our warrior's armor doesn't cover.

"It's rare for someone to ask to make the mark easy to hide and to show off." The Matchmaker said. "Some Faunus claim that it makes a couple seem untrustworthy choosing such a dual nature."

"Our needs are very particular. Yang goes on missions for the good of Menagerie. Her markings could pose a threat if someone were to notice the meaning of it."

"Ah, I see." The matchmaker grumbled. "Perhaps you should keep her on the island then."

"I've thought that. She certainly won't be venturing long and far anymore,. Even so, I need to consider Yang's position in all of this. Her services to the island are best utilized if she has the freedom to move around untethered by social norms." Blake further explained to the elderly woman.

"And what of the addition to yours?" The elder asked. "Should her emblem be hidden on you?"

"My tattoo can be added onto without the need for concealment. I rarely leave the island, and when I do, I dress carefully anyway."

"This is absurd, I do hope you know that." The older woman replied, examining Yang's unclothed upper body, looking for the perfect place to tattoo the blonde haired woman. "In any case, if you would like it to be readily seen at a moment's notice, the upper-arm is as good a choice as any. The back is another solid option, but then one would need to disrobe to showcase the crest." Licking her dry lips, she looked to the Faunus again. "Are you absolutely positive you wish to take this human into your household, and mark her as such? The ink will not be easily removed if you change your mind."

"This was not a choice I made lightly." Blake replied s she sat beside Yang. "You wouldn't have asked that if she were a Faunus, now would you?"

The old woman frowned, the long ears atop her head folding back atop her white head of hair. "She is not a Faunus, more importantly, she is an outsider, and you are the daughter of our great leader." The woman sighed at length, turning to select the perfect vial of purple ink to compliment the brawler's skin. It had to be a deep purple, one that would not fade easily, and matched closely to Bake's own colorings. Such a selection would not be an easy one. "I have served this village for decades, I have seen a great many things…but this?" The woman shook her head. "Not once have I seen this."

"That's because this island is Faunus only. No humans allowed, and all of that crap." Yang said, the action unwise as Blake elbowed her in the ribs. "What was that for? It's not my fault half of the world has sticks up their asses. Just because it's unusual, doesn't mean people have the right to complain about us. If we make each other happy, that's that."

"I know that, Yang, but treat the matchmaker with respect, she's been in service as a matriarch in this village since my dad was a kid."

"A sign of the times." The aging goat Faunus replied. "The human means no harm, I'm sure…even if she should watch her tongue around her elders."

"This human has a name you know." Yang grumbled.

"Still, a human is what you are. As a chosen noble of the Belladonna family, you must prove yourself worthy of the duties that wait ahead of you. As they say, purple is the noblest shroud. It will be the greatest honor among our people that you have been chosen to wear it." The woman finally plucked a small vile of the finest purple color she had, one that would match Blake's markings almost perfectly. "I believe this will suit quite nicely."

"What about Yang's emblem for me?" Blake asked then, excited to see what color the matchmaker would pick.

"As you have told me, you plan to take many mates, and as such, your tattoo will become much more intricate as time goes on. It is customary that an emblem bespeaks the personality of the mate it represents. Since the human's design came colored in yellow pencil, I presume that was the color with which the design was intended." Pulling out another vial, the woman took a small dab of the bright yellow ink and placed it on a swatch of cloth, holding it close to Blake's skin. "It will take several applications to ensure its vibrancy, but this is the nearest color I have to the one the design was made with."

"I think it'll be perfect." Blake murmured. "What do you think, Yang?"

"If you're happy, I'm happy." The blonde said with a smirk. "Honestly, I'm just happy you want to wear it at all..."

"It will take me some time to prepare the outlines. I will also need to gather the necessary certificates for the blood oaths which will need to be signed on your mating night. The morning after you've mated, you will bring the signed certificates to me, and I will etch the emblems into your chosen places. I will remind you once again that mating tattoos are no small matter. They should not be taken lightly…many mates wait years before laying the emblems into their skin, and I would highly advise you two to consider doing the same."

"I can't wait." Blake smiled, a small one, but true to her heart in the matter. Holding Yang's hand in hers as she gazed down at the bright sunny yellow that would be etched into her skin in just a few days.


	14. Chapter 14

**Next Update: Tuesday, May 22nd**

 **Chapter 14  
** ** **(Time: Day six of the cracked lunar year.  
Location: Wilds of Mistral.)****

Qrow began to realize the full extent of his burdens, and he doubted things would get any easier for them so long as he had to keep an eye on Winter and her little brother. The boy in question seemed to be more trouble than he was worth. In Qrow's humble opinion finding Weiss would be no easy task either, and he needed to do that quickly.

The huntsman made his way from the city, new information safe in-hand. He didn't like what he had heard, and he frowned as he realized his beloved flask was already empty again. Making a mental note to buy a bigger one, he stopped at the first inn he came across. He wasted no time pushing open the door and letting himself inside. It was dimly lit, the only real light coming from the flickering lamps and the open windows. The floor creaked underfoot. The people sitting around the table breaking bread and drinking from deep cups.

The sweet smell of grog filled the air, same as the undercurrent of stew that was likely bubbling away in the kitchens. Scantily clad waitresses gathered up the plates and served more drinks, the tired men and women gathered at the tables paying them no mind. This was a hunter's establishment. Qrow could tell. It was in the way everyone acted. An aloofness among loners. Comradery among teams. The playful banter of a hard day's work showed the young an inexperienced. The older hunters enjoyed their meals more quietly. Entertaining themselves with all of the vices found within the confines of such a place.

Gambling, drinking, hookups, and more.

Qrow knew well of the tribulations vagabonds suffered when looking for a place to rest. He didn't begrudge them looking for a bedmate for the night. He would never look down his nose at these people, so much like himself. Exhaustion lingering in their features, and the slightest of nods were enough to convey one simple message. He understood. Without hesitation, he approached the bar, setting his flask down onto the smooth wood.

"Fill it up, whiskey. Bottom shelf will do." He said to the man tending the bar. Old and grey as he slouched forward. His beard was kept short, one eye covered by a patch. Scars covering his arms. This man too, had seen the days of hardship head-on. Grimm likely his primary foe. Qrow would never ask though, so, he would never know.

The bar tender looked to him. There were very few inns that didn't know Qrow Branwen. Fewer still who didn't know of his famed habits for drunk and disorderly conduct. Still, men like them considered likeminded folks comrades, brothers to the bone. It was what made huntsmen what they were. Comparing battle scars and vices were daily conversations, the same as convicts comparing prison sentences.

The bearded man looked down to the flask. "On the road?"

"Yep."

"Long journey ahead of you?"

"Something like that."

"You got any food for a journey like that?"

"Nah. If I need it, I'll catch it myself."

The man nodded and reached for a bottle behind him. Half empty, thick glass protecting the product. He looked at the amber liquid. It wasn't even close to high quality, rough on the tongue as well as the stomach. He placed it in front of Qrow. "Take the whole damn thing. You'll need it more than I will."

Qrow nodded, tossing a few plastic cards with lien into the empty space. Then, he pocketed his flask. Unscrewing the bottle Qrow took a swig, feeling the burn as it slid down his gullet. He nodded to the man, and turned to leave. Heading out the same way he came in. Wordlessly, and respectful of the people who sacrificed so much, all for the good of Remnant.

With his prize in hand, the long walk back into the woods was made more enjoyable, even if only slightly. It took hours, and several swigs of alcohol, the smell thick on his breath. When he finally reached his campsite, it was to find Winter knelt over a roaring fire watching fish cook. Stepping forward, he set down a plastic bag of supplies. "There's a bottle of soda in there for the squirt." Qrow said quietly as he sat down. "We'll be out here awhile, comforts from the city will be hard to come by."

Winter nodded wordlessly. She suspected that already. "Did you find out anything?"

Qrow studied Winter for a few long moments, trying to decide if she was exhausted as she looked. "I know you're used to barking orders, but that isn't how it works around here. A lot of things are implied." He began, sitting on tree stump, hunching over to catch the fire's warmth. "You got to listen to what isn't being said. All the little hints people can't say."

"Well, have you gained any meaningful insight from that at least?"

"On the surface, nah, not really." He stretched slowly before reaching into his pockets, the tickets unharmed. "Put your ear low enough to the ground though, and the Faunus are murmuring. Little things, nothing huge, but they know your baby sister is away from home. Seems like your dear old dad isn't too happy about it."

"She isn't a child." Winter replied, her eyes glancing over to the nearby tent. "She's an adult now. What about Whitley, has he made that little matter public?"

"Too soon for him to take something like this to the press, especially with you involved. He's not that stupid." Qrow grumbled. "Doesn't mean he won't let it make the papers if he thinks he can spin it in a light that makes him look good though. If you want my opinion, I think you should hide someplace where your dad won't find you."

"He'll find us, eventually. He'll stop at nothing to get Whitley back. Without him, my father has no reasonable male heir. Weiss and I are women. We're expendable compared to that."

Qrow cleared his throat, another gulp from the bottle in his hand helped to quiet his thoughts. "Why'd you run away with him, anyway? What's the point of taking a brat like him away from the only place that he's ever called home?"

"That home is a cage." Winter retorted. "I don't think a man like you has the capacity to understand the situation."

"But look at me. Here I am, helping you out anyway." He groused. "Humor me."

"It's hardly humorous." Winter sighed as she dusted her hands off. Her once white uniform marked with the perils of the woods. "As a Schnee, I don't make excuses for my harsh upbringing. In some ways, I believe it made me strong, for better or worse. However, as a person in a position to change things, you have to take a few steps back. You have to consider the things you see right in front of you, and couple that with the things that don't add up. I did the math, and I didn't like the conclusions I reached. Therefore, it only made sense to take Whitley with me."

"What do you hope to accomplish, doing all of this?"

"Things are changing, I can feel it. The Faunus in Atlas are blinded by their rage. They're acting out, they want change, but, at what cost? The malcontent seeps into the hearts of people like a plague. They turn on each other, more civil unrest mounts atop everything, suppressing the more moderate minds from maintaining some level of composure. The unrest spreads. It's been happening for years in the communities where Faunus have been forcefully oppressed, and now, it's happening in Atlas."

"Conspiracy theory aside, why should all of that crap concern you?"

"A better question is, why shouldn't it?"

"Winter, you sit above all that. Kiss your dad's ass, you'll be sitting pretty for your whole life. That's more than I can say for some."

"Do the math, Qrow, you're that smart at least. What happens when a monopoly crumbles under its own weight? Furthermore, why would anyone want that to happen, knowing what that could mean?" Winter asked, causing Qrow to uplift his eyebrow in question. "There's a reason why the law makers turn a blind eye to my father's treatment of the Faunus. A reason more important than the desires of the people. It's a fickle thing, Qrow, too fickle for the long run..."

"Sounds like a straw man's argument, but alright…" He said darkly. "You got my attention…"

"If the SDC goes under, the world's largest supplier of dust fails to exist. It'll be much harder to distribute. Take down the SDC, the smaller companies would likely be crushed soon after. Take out enough of them, and our defenses against Grimm will have effectively been cut off at the knee. That's not something that we can easily contend with."

"You're being too simple minded, there's always a way to get dust, winter. Even if I need to dig it out of the ground myself, I've never gone without."

"You're the one being simple minded." Winter shot back. "Think beyond hunters and huntresses. Think to the people in the kingdoms, where the true danger rests. Our lives of luxury depend on that dust." She bit her lip, having thought long and hard about all of it. "Consider how many ways we use it. About every little way we've come to depend on it. If dust were suddenly that much harder to get, it would no longer be common enough to fill our households at whim. We'd be on the verge of a dark age, the tipping point only a matter of our defenses."

Qrow looked at the amber liquid in his bottle, glaring into it. "And, by your logic, without a copious supply of dust, that would eventually weaken too."

"Inevitably, yes. Without question. The people have grown accustom to a particular way of life. Take the comfortable lifestyle away, make the people feel as though there isn't any hope, and you attract Grimm by the herds. If there are enough of them, any Kingdom would easily be overwhelmed."

"You have any proof something like that's going to happen?"

"Not yet, but that's only a matter of time." Winter went on to say, looking over her back to notice the fish she had been cooking were now burnt. It didn't matter, she wasn't hungry anymore. "Somethings out there, pulling the strings. Whatever it is, it's insidious. I don't want my siblings anywhere near it. That means keeping them out of Atlas."


	15. Chapter 15

**Next Update: Tuesday, May 29th.**

 **Chapter 15**

 **(Time: Day seven of the cracked lunar year.  
Location: The island of Menagerie)**

This seventh night of the mating festivals particularly were of the utmost importance. It was the last night in the current season to gratuitously partake in instinctual urges without being looked down upon for yielding to them. It was also the last night for families to consider far-reaching marriage and mating arrangements for their young heirs who already had taken a fancy to someone.

Stepping stones for the future.

Meanwhile, there was plenty of teaching to be done. Young boys followed their elders around as they learned the finer arts of providing for a home and protecting the island. Ceremonial hunts against Grimm were one of the few times children were allowed out into the jungles, and at the sides of their families, they did so with pride, learning the land carefully, but on this seventh night, some boys would become men.

Some of the older boys would participate in an initiation hunt on this final night, to prove they've completed their years of training. It would qualify them as men among the people of Menagerie. The women could choose to participate in initiation hunts too, if they wished to establish and distinguish themselves as particularly strong among the population.

Women that didn't hunt instead learned to do the domestic tasks and family trades. Prepping themselves to be seen as useful mates that could easily be relied upon to maintain the household, raise children, and run the family business. There were any number of ways a citizen could contribute to Menagerie, and the small island thrived only due to the hard work and dedication of the islanders. The village would only continue to grow in prosper so long as the people chose to do the same.

Blake Belladonna took notice as the large gate to the east opened, setting down her drink to spectate the final arrivals.

The male youths were returning. Many of them sporting grins, and body paint indicative of their success. These teenage boys, the ones painted so colorfully, had acknowledged their abandonment of childhood. No longer to be coddled by the islanders, they were considered adults now, tattooed with their family crest, and able to find and take a mate. She smiled particularly at one young man, so overcome with pride that he downed the beverage placed in front of him quickly, demanding another, and downing that one too.

She shook her head at the display, reminding herself that just because someone was allowed to seek a mate, didn't mean that they would find one in their first year.

Often times, it took several years before matches were properly made. Idly scratching her cheek in thought, she wondered if she was actually ready to partake in the duties that were required of her. If she were to go through with claiming a mate for herself, she would have much to attend to. She was sure, many of the eligible Faunus felt the same way.

Hesitancy was not an uncommon emotion, especially those of Blake's particular fold. Setting aside her wayward thoughts, she turned her sights on the newly eligible young men once more. "The initiated males are a rowdy bunch this year, aren't they?" Blake mused aloud as the drunken banter began to get louder.

The chieftain watched the proceedings with his wife and daughter at his side, nodding to the younger of the two. "They are, but, the hunt went well. That makes twenty three initiated males this year. Only a few of them are material worthy to hunt Grimm as a profession, but they passed the trial, and that's all that matters."

"It was the same with the women's hunt. Out of the thirty girls, seventeen chose to partake." Kali told him, having joined the young women on their hunt earlier that afternoon. She'd spectated them, and graded them accordingly. "They did very well, honestly, I was surprised. Their teamwork was impeccable, although, overall technique was lacking. I had considered intervening a few times, but, they completed their initiation without help. They're receiving their tattoos as we speak."

The large man nodded at this. "It's rare to have such a high number of people pass."

"Hunting conditions were excellent this year." Kali replied to him. "Or so Blake constantly reminds me."

"Consider it, the Grimm weren't too large, lots of nests harboring small hostile Grimm. It was perfect for blooding the inexperienced. It was even better for the older hunters. There wasn't a great threat, meaning we got to sit back and watch. It was entertaining to say the least." Blake replied as she glanced at her father. "I don't know if many of them will attempt to apprentice under you though."

"Is that so?" He murmured, contemplating that, and seeming displeased while doing so.

"When it comes to helping to govern Menagerie as a future matriarch, most of them are too docile. However, they'll all make good providers in the coming years if they choose to bear offspring…I guess, really, that's all anyone can really hope for."

"And speaking of offspring, what about you, Blake?" He asked softly. "I haven't seen you approach anyone yet."

"Ghira, leave her be." Kali chastised. "It's only her fifth festival. She has plenty of time."

"But, Kali, that's just it." Ghira sighed at length. "It's her _fifth festival_. Don't you think it's time she settles down properly?"

"I do plan to take a mate this year." Blake said to both of them. "I've already chosen who it will be."

"Oh?" Ghira asked, only to have Kali elbow him in the ribs.

"Blake ignore your father." She said, wagging a finger.

"Oh, come now, Kali." He muttered. "I can be curious, can't I?"

"No you may not." She told him, shaking her head firmly. "You know the rules. Mated pairs only announce they have done so _after_ the festival has concluded. You'll find out tomorrow, now leave the matter be."

"Speaking of the matter at hand, I suppose I should see to it." Blake replied, quietly excusing herself from her seat beside her father.

Blake knew she wanted to take Yang as her mate in spite of the nervousness creeping up on her. The responsibilities placed on her shoulders would be vast if she chose to do this. Her amber eyed gaze landed swiftly on the target of her affections, seeing the woman in the middle of a ritualistic dance. It made her heart melt at the thought, but then she felt a spark of something else.

The emotion was slight, but niggling at her senses all the same.

Possessiveness.

Yang smiled before she closed her eyes. Her toned body rocking and swaying to the heavy drumbeat. Sweat covered her, glistening perfectly against her flushed skin as she danced in front of one of the raging bonfires. The smoke billowed high into the sky, chasing away the Grimm that made nightfall on Menagerie such a dangerous place. This final night of the festival, when spirits were high and inhibitions were low, it was the perfect time to find a suitor for the night, and perhaps even a committed mate to be marked. Several people looked at Yang because she was hard to ignore.

Blake knew that Yang was already well aware of her intentions. Still, even so, Yang could do no more than dance the night away until she was approached.

She opened her eyes again, smirking as she swung her hips in Blake's direction, an unspoken invitation to take her away already. It mesmerized Yang when the Faunus began her approach with a sense of hunger and purpose. Blake grabbed at her, swiping long blonde tresses aside to gaze at Yang's neck. Blake ran her nose across that tender nape, relishing the gasp she heard from her lover in response.

"How many people have touched you tonight, Yang?" Blake groused, the question was an honest one as she leaned in to pull the woman into a dance. Her fingers drifted across gently flaring hips, and they moved against each other, Blake openly glaring at anyone who even looked in Yang's direction. This too, was part of the tradition, an open declaration for all who'd notice.

Yang was going to be hers.

"Why?" The blonde asked playfully. "Afraid you'll lose the game of cat and mouse?"

Amber eyes rolled as she leaned up to nip the woman none too gently along the length of her jaw for that remark. "You said that because I have cat ears, didn't you?" She growled. "Don't forget, I've got claws too. How many, Yang?"

It wasn't a threat, it was a promise, and Yang nearly sagged in submission at the words. "Truthfully? You probably don't want to know."

Blake nodded, as they continued to dance a while longer in the firelight. The length as much for show, as it was for respect and propriety. Blake showed off her possessive streak to those who cared to look. If they wanted a show, she'd give them a show. Yang delighted in being a show-off, something Blake would use to her advantage. Her fingers trailed under Yang's dress to the perfectly kept womanhood lingering there, her hand falling over the area as her tongue darted out to give a quick little lick to the nape of Yang's neck again.

Normally, she wouldn't have been so obvious, but judging from the pool of slick heat meeting her fingers, she made the right choice. Blake grinned deviously at the thought of it. A little teasing couldn't hurt. With one well-manicured finger, she toyed slightly at the folds of her lover, earning a gasp, and then a quiet, sultry moan that pricked at her ears.

Blake growled ever so quietly as she pulled Yang away from the other solitary dancers then. Hand in hand, Blake murmured the one thing she had wanted to say since the start of the festival. "Tonight's the night, become my mate." Blake earnestly beseeched, the time for complicated speeches and heartfelt confessions well beyond them.

At this, Yang smiled. "Sure."

It was one word, utterly simple, completely casual, and entirely perfect.

Blake looked smugly at the woman wrapped in her arms, a greedy pride swelling in the depths of her mind. A somewhat dirty grin echoed back, a thousand little sins promised in that lilac gaze that locked with her own.


	16. Chapter 16

**Next Update: Friday, June 1st.**

 **Chapter 16**

Blake wasted no time in leading Yang well away from prying eyes of the festival. They both hurried back to the privacy of their own home. Some of the others in the household were also enjoying themselves. The lewdness of the racket and the heady scents only sending a spike of arousal through the Faunus. Blake purred as her grip on Yang's hand tightened, as she all but dragged the snickering blonde through the house, Yang's own humor spilling over into Blake.

The two of them snickering as they bypassed a lurid kiss being shared between Sun and Ruby, the shorter woman whispering sweet nothings to the monkey Faunus much louder than she realized.

The all too sweet scene only made Blake want to prove her own desires to Yang even more. They continued beyond the many sleeping areas and then Blake promptly locked the door to her bedroom to keep anyone else from entering. Her feral gaze turning to the blonde in front of her. "Yang…" Blake purred, the rest of what she wanted to say muddled and impossible to articulate.

The still smirking blonde just shook her head. "I know." Yang said easily enough.

Truth be told, she did. Blake had said her feelings hundreds of times over the years they'd known each other. The Faunus made no mistake about the fact that although the blonde annoyed the hell out of her, she couldn't imagine a day without Yang around. Whenever Yang took missions away from home, the others would report Blake to be volatile, aggressive, and restless. The Faunus herself would become unspeakably territorial the moment Yang returned.

Their relationship wasn't like the others.

It was something else, something that always toed a line in the sand. The two of them, edging on the brink of things that in the end there were no real words for. No actual turns of phrase that encompassed it all. Love was too simple a term, and addiction itself was too derogatory. Yet, the two of them danced betwixt those too all important lines, a couple significantly different than any of the other bedfellows either of them entertained on any given night.

Yang was Blake's first, in almost all things. Now, she would be the first mate that Blake would ever take. It was impossible for the Faunus to really convey everything she wanted to. It seemed as though Yang felt the same, and for the first time in years, Blake almost felt like a blushing virgin all over again.

As if to testify that very sentiment, Yang leaned in ever so slightly. Blake did the same. Their lips met cautiously, but comfortably at first. A slow meeting of mind and body that wasn't entirely comforting to the excitement that bubbled beneath it all. Then, Yang felt Blake try to deepen the kiss, those sharp and pointy eye-teeth of hers playing gently at the joining of their lips. The tiny nip, careful as ever, followed by a soft purr.

Yang groaned at this, an invitation for more. One she demanded, as her hands came up to rest on Blake's hips. Her lips pressing against the Faunus with urgency. Their kiss turning fierce in that single heartbeat. She wanted to feel more of those sharp teeth, knowing their danger, loving every moment of it. Blake's purr deepened, a near growl for merely a moment as she her own hands lifted, sliding gently into blonde locks.

The hands on Blake's hips shifting down to her ass, grabbing the Faunus and hoisting her up, causing both to break away from the kiss. Yang obviously didn't want to wait, her narrow-minded focus slipping by the seconds. With what little of her restraint remained, she forced herself to walk forward, her momentum carrying them both to the bed. They crashed onto it like a wave, the soft bedding cradling the both of them as Blake growled again.

"Yang..." Blake breathed, the demand was clear.

Yang obligated as Blake kissed her aggressively, the Faunus raking her fingers down Yang's shoulders with a renewed vigor at the meeting of both teeth and tongue. Yang toyed with those all too sharp teeth again, Blake allowing it only to appease the blonde's playful nature, soft nips daring to draw blood, but never doing so. Blake groaned at the way Yang's thigh slid upward, pinning her more fully to the bed, giving the blonde more leverage than the Faunus thought she ought to have.

A complaint shattered like broken glass as tactful fingers found one of Blake's Faunus ears, tweaking it in just the right way to make the Faunus sag under the touch. It was then Yang pulled away, breaking their kiss with a grin.

"Jackass…" Blake breathed. "You know what that does to me."

Yang wasn't in the least bit sorry for her actions, only continuing to smile down and Blake, knowing the Faunus earnestly wanted to turn the tides. Even so, Yang had always been more experienced in the ways of the heart, and most certainly in the ways of the body. "Yeah, I do." Yang agreed, her voice soft but ever so playful. "And you love it."

"Yang, please, this is important." Blake said with a roll of her eyes, leaning up to kiss Yang. This time, it was slow, meaningful, and the blonde sighed into it as her eyes drifted closed. Of course this was important to Blake. It was for Yang too. Then again, almost everything they did together held some sort of meaning for the blonde. It was only when they pulled away again, when Yang's eyes opened, that she saw the earnest expression of her lover.

Blake, especially while in the middle of heat, had never been the best with romantic words. Yet, here she was, trying to find some. It drove her crazy that Yang was always so beautiful, and so always sure of herself. Even with Yang's doubts, of which the blonde had a great many, she was always so damn sure of what she was doing. What she wanted, and who she wanted those things to be with.

Blake had always struggled under that sort of pressure, because as self-sure as she forced herself to be, there were times she felt inferior to this human.

Inferior to Yang…

The first time they'd ever been together behind closed doors, Yang had taken the lead. Guiding Blake through the social awkwardness of sex without even batting an eye. The Faunus had never recovered from that, her confidence completely stunted when Yang looked at her with all of the love and compassion in the world…especially when Blake knew that world that had only shown Yang cruelty in return.

Try as though the Faunus might, none of her promises to Yang had ever seen fruition, and Blake feared, those promises never would. "I love you..." It seemed not enough.

"I love you too, Blake, and I want to be your mate." Yang said gently, the playfulness fading into sincerity. "I've wanted it for a while now, because I know what that word means to you."

"I just don't want you to regret this." The Faunus replied then.

"Regret what, having a place to belong?" Yang asked then. "You gave me that...this...I'll always be thankful."

"Everything else." Blake say cryptically, knowing the blond would understand.

"Aw, Blakey, come on…" Yang said as she leaned down, pulling Blake's long black tresses aside so that she could murmur unto the girl's human ear. "Wanna know something? I'm nervous too."

That admission derailed Blake's sensibilities. "Why?" The Faunus whispered.

"Cause tomorrow morning, that matchmaker is going to come in here knowing what we did last night, and she's going to put a big tattoo on by body…and let's be honest, some part of me is going to love that…"

Blake nodded thoughtfully. "I'm sensing a 'but' someplace in there…" She said, her voice quiet but gentle.

"I know I'm not always great with responsibilities, and I know what this is going to look like…me being a human and all." Yang said, with all of the tenderness that she could muster. "I just want to make you happy, Blake. I might not care about what most people think of me, but I'm always going to care what _you_ think…and I just…I wanna be up to that standard, you know?" And, though the admission lacked grace, it was completely honest. Entirely something Yang would worry about, simply because that was how earnest the blond was. "So, let me take care of you, Blake. Cause you're right, this matters...it always has, it always will."

The Faunus, nodded wordlessly, earning a warm and sunny smile from the blonde. This next kiss was slow and sensual, conveying all of the things Yang would never adequately be able to put into words. Like a shockwave, the feeling skittered across her body, a shiver come to life. Blake sunk into that feeling, and Yang followed her. Not breaking the kiss, Yang expertly let her hands trail along Blake's arms upward until searching fingertips ghosted along her neck.

The small sound the Faunus gifted those actions alone caused Yang to repeat them.

Yang had a gift for her rough and tumble ways. It wasn't even a question those ways extended into bedroom frolics, but on this night, Yang was maddeningly gently. Her motions careful, as though Blake were made of glass as they took turns undressing each other. The Faunus, moved by these gestures, responded in kind. The shedding of clothes a gradual process, the mingling of scent a tender one.

Blake could feel her own docility, rare as it was to come by. There was no instinct to use her teeth, no urge to claw. The usual desires to mark up the blonde made weak by something Blake herself had no way to express.

She loved Yang, though. Knew the blonde loved her in return. Yang's subdued actions were a human reflection of that. What humans called, making love, if her research on the subject meant anything at all. Blake considered, hazily, it was perhaps that emotion, something that both humans and Faunus shared, that quelled her more animalistic desires. To match Yang in her affection, as Yang often matched Blake's aggressive passion.

These actions were not the caustic rutting that they were used to as a couple. It wasn't even the oversexualized desire one might find in the books of Blake's more lurid collections. Instead it was wordless admission with every soft hitch of a breath. A straying touch, little more than a playful ticklishness bound by trust. Desire, a heady scent and thick in the air, same as the moisture between their legs.

Orgasms were a seemingly secondary goal as the night drew on, longer, as though taunting the Faunus. That too was a maddening thought, as Yang touched her in ways that Blake never allowed anyone else. Her smug little smile, cocky in the way it displayed itself, as if Yang knew the luxuries she was taking without even the slightest hesitation.

The moment she leaned up, nipping on Blake's Faunus ear, three figures buried deep into Blake's womanhood, was the moment Blake came undone at the mercy of this human. A climax so powerful, she could do no more than submit to it, and that too was unsettling, because no one was allowed to nip at her ears. No one was allowed claim dominance over her in such a way.

No one, but Yang...


	17. Chapter 17

**Next Update: Monday June 4th**

 **Chapter 17** **  
(Day eight of the cracked lunar year.  
Location: Island of Menagerie.)**

Fingers grazed over her newly dressed tattoo, the tenderness there making her wince as her skin protested the action. It had just been finished an hour ago, and although her aura fought to heal away the ink, it was impossible thanks to the aura inhibiting shot she had received prior to the work being done. Now, all she needed to do was wait for Blake's markings to be finished and it would be officially mated by Faunus standards.

Yang smirked to herself, a giddy little hint of pride creeping into her mind, even as she found herself at a loss with what to do with all of the paperwork sitting in front of her.

Blake had tasked her with sorting these requests by order of importance. There was only one problem, Yang had no idea what Blake deemed worthy of her immediate attention and what she didn't. These particular documents weren't ones Yang had ever been given the privilege to see, let alone to sort out. In her hand was a long and dull request for herbs, sent by the healers of a nearby village. She'd gazed at this parchment for too long, feeling as though it was important, but second guessing the urgency of the request.

What made matters difficult was another parchment that sat beside it in comparison. A second village also asking for herbs, and other medical supplies.

Yang didn't know much about the matters in the other villages, but she did know that the one she lived in didn't have an overflowing stock of anything. They never did. For a Faunus even the most basic painkiller could be hard to come by. That spoke nothing of antibiotics, or medical grade dust, both of which were in even lesser quantities. A soft hand fell onto the desk, drawing Yang's attention.

Ruby leaned over her older sister, to get a better look. "Those are medicine requests, you can put both of them at the bottom of the pile." She said as she began to shuffle the loose papers around properly. "Put the food requests at the top, followed by any requests for mercenaries and Grimm fortifications."

"You sure about that?" Yang asked, biting her lower lip in worry. "If people get sick, it can end an entire village in a fortnight."

Ruby nodded. Helping her sister sort the piles in a timely manner. "The aquatic Grimm along the coastlines are thinning out, going to deeper waters now that they've laid their eggs. The ships will be at greater risks than the villages nestled on the coastlines themselves. As for medicine, it's low this time of year. Until we go to Atlas, it's just going to be that way. We can make up for it by helping slay the Grimm in the forests though. The safer it is, the more herbs the other villages can gather. It's not the best solution, but it's what we've got to go on right now."

"Why are you always so good at this?" Yang mumbled. "I just don't get it, you're always on top of things."

"So you're no good at this stuff…do you think I'd be any better doing patrols in the streets?" Ruby asked as she leaned heavily on Blake's desk. "I know the paperwork because I watch Neon do it all the time. You're never around. You're always in the village helping out instead, and that isn't really a bad thing."

"I feel like it's never enough." Yang grumbled.

"It is."

"No, it's not."

"When Blake says it is, then it is." Ruby shot back.

Yang sighed, looking at the parchment in her hand. "I still don't know if ignoring the medical aid is a good idea…"

"I'm not going to lie, it's easier when people are just numbers on a page." Ruby explained. "When you don't know them personally, you don't have to pick favorites or choose sides. I think that's why Blake hates doing it and makes someone else decide the order requests are handled. You're in the village just as much as she is, you'll probably never be good at it…you care too much. If I was in the village even half as often as you were, I'd probably struggle the same way."

"I know you're right about that, but still…" Yang sighed deeply. Ruby had so effortlessly come up with answers that Yang had been agonizing over. No matter what the reasons were, Yang knew she would have to do better in the future. The blonde slumped down in her chair when she realized the truth of her little sister's statements. It probably was easier for Ruby, as reclusive from village matters as she tended to be, the younger huntress was more than happy to live on the fringes of civilization.

"You were the better choice." Ruby said, the sudden admission catching Yang off guard.

"What?"

"You heard me…"

"You can't mean that, Ruby."

"Yeah, I do." Ruby said as she hoisted herself up to sit on the desk, kicking her feet thoughtfully as she looked to the rug on the floor. Even though Yang was the one that Blake had chosen to mate with, the Faunus made no mistake about wanting Ruby as well, and had groomed the younger sibling to undertake the momentous task. Ruby knew the details Yang didn't, but Ruby was sure it was only a matter of time. Soon, Yang would be just as capable of handling the detailed paperwork. "You like the village Yang, and you like the people in it. You're the sort of person that'll do whatever it takes to make a name for yourself, because you don't just want to stand in Blake's shadow."

"I have to be that way, otherwise what kind of person would I be?" Yang asked rhetorically. "I wouldn't be worthy of Blake, that much I'm sure of."

"You'll always be worthy of her, because she says you are. It's that easy." Ruby shrugged. "I'm not saying that I'm not worthy of her. I'm just saying, we all have a place, and I like the place I'm in. Deep down, I know you'll like the place your in. You love the village so much, Yang, and you have the charisma to do all of the things I just don't even want to do. She made the right choice, and I'm never going to stop believing that."

"I'm just worried they won't accept me…" Yang trailed off, twirling a piece of her long blonde hair. "It's one thing for a human to wander around and goof off…I know the villagers think I'm just a funny little human girl who doesn't know where she belongs. It might be different now though." She angled her arm so that Ruby could get a good look at the tattoo. "Technically my name hasn't changed, but this makes me a Belladonna. I might not live up to that expectation. What if I let Blake down?"

Ruby laughed, jumping off of the desk. "I don't think that's possible…she's benching you for the Atlas trip by the way…"

"What, no way she's never-"

"She totally is." Ruby interrupted. "She told Pyrrha and I we weren't allowed to add you to the recruitment list. We really wanted to because of your semblance in the icy water. You're the only one who can just dive in and not freeze half to death, and it's always been helpful in the past. Even though we explained that, Blake still said you couldn't go. She wanted you here."

"Blakey always worries when we go on missions…"

"About some of us more than others. You can be really reckless, Yang."

"So much so that she wants to bench me?" Yang laughed softly. "Now I'm worried about what you and Pyrrha put in those mission reports."

Ruby grinned, knowing just how mopey and bored Yang got on long boat rides with nothing to do. The blonde was restless and cranky when confined to the lower cabins for weeks at a time. There wasn't anything to do other than to play card games and fish off of the deck, neither hobby sustaining Yang for any real length of time. The northern chill made for dull afternoons unless Grimm were roaming around. "Like I said, I have my place, and you have yours…and yours is with the village now."

"Yeah..." Yang trailed off thoughtfully. "Maybe you're right..."


	18. Chapter 18

**Next Update: Friday, June 8th.**

 **Chapter** **18**

"Blake, have you seen your father anywhere by chance?" Kali asked, a basket in hand loaded with fresh produce from a nearby shop.

"No, but I was actually looking for him."

"Really?" Kali hardly expected to see her daughter out wandering around so early after choosing a mate. Blake's newest additions to her tattoo sat on perfect display, her arm showcasing the emblem of Yang's choosing, and the murmuring if the village made no mistake about it. Although Kali had smiled and earnestly to those who had asked her about it, the truth was that the elder cat Faunus was unsure of Blake's choice. It wasn't because she disliked Yang, or saw little use in mating a human.

Rather, she worried precisely because of the complexities of village life. There were some senses that humans just lacked, and Kali worried Yang would find her new-found position difficult because of that.

"We've got some things to go over regarding the matters in Atlas, and I'm sure he wants an explanation about this, too." Blake replied, gesturing to her tattoo. "He's not in an of the administrative buildings." She said, inclining her head to a large stone building, the lights turned off as if no one had decided to work there today. Blake wasn't even surprised.

"Down by the water, perhaps?" Kali offered.

"No, I checked." Blake said. "He wasn't at the docks, or the assembly hall. Only other place he could be is his office."

"Either that, or a hunt."

"This time in the morning? Doubtful." Blake scoffed. "If I find him though, I'll tell him you're looking."

"If you do that, he's liable to sneak away again." Kali frowned. "He's always so easily distracted in his work. A pity really, some respite would do him some good."

Blake nodded, though she suspected respite was the exact reason why her father threw himself into the daily complications of village matters. Her mother's scent was just as strong as Blake's own, and the implications of that needed no words among them. "So, are you heading back to the house then?"

"Just after I pick up some fresh meat for dinner." Kali replied, pointing off to the butcher shop.

"I'm going on ahead then, I'd like to get this over with." Blake parted ways with her mother, continuing on towards her father's large household. The elaborate building sat directly in the middle of the village for all to see.

On the day after the mating festivities concluded, it was a somber time. Those who had succeeded in wooing a mate hid away to partake of their newly found lover. The matchmaker would be busy today. Until the newly mated couples received their new markings, they wouldn't be allowed to wander the village freely. With any luck, these new couples would raise offspring in the coming seasons.

For the rest of the island, and its many peoples, it was time to go back to the old way of doing things. The visiting villagers went back to their own homes, and some families prepared to cross the sea back to the mainland. It was business as usual, life forcing itself to return to normal, even though a few people still had itches that needed to be scratched.

After all, just because the festival ended, didn't mean that the women in heat suddenly stopped.

Oh no, many Faunus women were still seeking bedfellows, even if they were more subdued about it. Though the festival had concluded, a woman in heat could remain that way for quite some time, and Blake was not exempt. Beating down her more carnal desire to locate Yang and rut her right at that moment, she focused on her tasks at hand. If she knew her father at all, which she did, he was likely scanning over village documents that couldn't be ignored.

That, Blake decided, was the right idea.

Meanwhile, Ghira hummed to himself, reaching for his tea.

The action strained he shoulder and he winced, one particularly sore bite mark reminding him just what awaited him once he finished with all of his paperwork. He'd need to buy more condoms before the day was done, of that, he was sure. He ignored the pain of his bites and sipped his tea, sighing. He only just began to get comfortable and look over the again papers when a knock came from his office door.

Muttering curses, he stood from his chair and crossed the room to greet whoever was on the other side. Carefully, he made sure the worst of Kali's marks on him were concealed from view. He couldn't have been more thankful for that one act. "Good morning, Blake."

"You look like fresh hell." Blake bit out, not even bothered by the obvious scratches and bite marks covering her father's neck, chest, and likely other areas.

"Speak for yourself." He retorted dryly, finger outstretched to the several hickeys all over Blake's neck. He couldn't see anything beyond that, but he had his suspicions. She had recently showered, there wasn't a single scent on her, at least none besides her own. Some part of his addled mind was thankful for that. "Come, sit down." He said eagerly remembering his daughter's promise. "So go on, tell me who you've chosen to mate with."

"It really shouldn't be a surprise, but, I've chosen to mate with Yang." Blake said as she entered into her father's study. She took a seat in one of the armchairs gingerly. "She's been living in my household for a while now, it makes sense that I would choose her."

"Blake, you have got to be kidding." Ghira said as he gawked at his only daughter. Inwardly he chastised himself for choosing not to sire more offspring. "Of all the people you could have chosen, you picked her?"

"Yes."

"Why..?"

She smirked at her father's completely perplexed expression. Confusion clear as day. "We should take tea, and I'll explain." Springing to her feet, she neared his desk and gathered the tea set. Bringing it back to the coffee table, she set it down, refreshing his cup and handing it to him. Then she poured one for herself and sat back down. "It's really not all that complicated. You wanted me to choose a mate, and therefore I have."

"So you did…" He managed to say.

"Your lack of enthusiasm has been duly noted." She said dryly, sipping from a cup of the finest tea Menagerie had to offer. "Do my choices bother you? Could it be because she's a human?"

"Well, no…" He replied, as he looked at her. "Not inherently at least, but, well, Blake dear…unless I'm sorely mistaken, Yang _is_ a woman."

"Obviously." Blake she laughed. "Is that a problem?"

"Well, I don't know if problem is the right word." Ghira said, finger toying around the rim of his cup. "A situation surely, but, I'd hesitate to say it's a problem." Delicacy in family matters were always a fine line, especially when it came to Blake. He'd always chosen to tiptoe around her, offering as much support as he could, even when he didn't always understand the nature of her whims.

"If it's not a problem, what is it then?"

"A fact of biological nature. You cannot breed with a woman." He said, pointedly drawing out the problem as clearly as possible. "With your mother unable to carry more children, you are the only one able to carry the family line. I was hoping that you might feel inclined."

"You could just mate another female and carry the line that way. Pyrrha told me that you turned her away, your loss. She would have made an excellent mate." Blake said with a smirk. "Anyway, don't pin our lack of bloodline on me. You just want grandchildren." Blake accused, but there was no heat in the statement as she sipped at her drink.

"Is that really so much to ask?" He inquired, more than a little exasperated.

"Well, no…" She said before her thoughts gained conviction. "No, of course not." This time Blake sighed. "It's just that none of the males interested me this year. You can agree, the pickings were lacking for someone of my status."

"I see…" Ghira said slowly. "No one even remotely interested you at all?"

"Dad, it's more complicated than that. If I'd had an option that I thought might be worthwhile…" She trailed off, shaking her head. "I planned to mate Yang anyway. Next year, should a male be worthy, I'll mate him as well. Let's be honest, I doubt he'll have much to complain about. He'll have two women to bed and breed instead of one."

"You say that as if one woman is not a handful in and of herself." He told Blake with a small scowl. It fell away quickly as he pondered his thoughts aloud. "You know, I'm not to rightly mind if you find a young man of lesser means and bloodline." He intoned hopefully. "Our name alone helps to keep us in power, and you are strong enough to lead Menagerie in my steed when the time comes."

"I didn't choose a male because I was faced with two options this season. The males far older, seeking a younger mate, which I assure you doesn't interest me at all. Then there were the younger ones that don't quite meet the maturity level I'd expect of them." Then she smiled. "Some were cute, but idiotic."

"Wukong in a nutshell…" Ghira grumbled.

"Careful, I'd sooner mate Sun than over half of your guard." Blake shot back. "Be careful what you wish for, or there might be monkey Faunus grandchildren in your future."

"That's not even remotely funny."

"You're the one insisting I breed, who says I'm joking?"

"Touché…"

"You don't have to worry about that. I'm not in any hurry, and I don't ever plan to mate Sun…" Blake said then. "Given that my chosen mates should have some sort of respectable reputation behind them, it occurred to me that I might want to wait a year or so."

At this, her father brightened. "Oh?"

"Well, by that time, some of the promising nobles around my age will have finished their training as warriors. They won't be on the cusp either, and might be more willing to settle into an established and high ranking household." Blake told him. "By then, at the very least, I'll have a better understanding of what type of person they are."

"So, you do have your eyes on someone." Ghira murmured.

"Several." She said slowly. "I'm just not sure anything will pan out yet."

"Care to elaborate?"

"I'm choosing to observe from a distance. They have no idea they've fallen under my scrutiny, and that's the way I intend to keep it for now." Blake knew it would be a great honor to whoever she chose to sire her offspring, and she knew she needed to be careful to pick a proper father. "The man I'm looking for should be a docile one. Quiet and clear headed. I really don't care for all of the ego and posturing put on by the exuberant alphas running around. After all, there's really no higher place to be, than to be a mate of mine anyway."

Ghira nodded. That at the very least was true. "Then, I suppose I should set my hopeful sights on next year."

"Sooner, should the right male come along. Just because the festival is the most popular time to seek a mate, doesn't mean it has to be then." Blake replied. "I might begin courtship earlier than that, so long as Yang and I can agree on a worthy male. I have more than one human under my watch, I may very well breed with one of them, if the urge strikes me."

"And what about Weiss Schnee, who you have me confining in a guest room?" Ghira asked then. "What am I to do with her? It isn't as if she can wander around on her own, she would be safest with you."

"Her place will be prepared among my household, same as the rest of my new arrivals." Blake said. "To live in my household, is to train in my household. Besides, I think I've found a way to deal with our problems concerning what to do with her family, and the reparations needed up in the north. To prove herself as a huntress of Menagerie, would prove her worthy of your audience. If she survives my strict program, she would earn an audience with you…you would have to listen to her demands, but it's a risk I want to take…"

"And why would you do that?"

"Because humans are social creatures."

"So are Faunus, what on Remnant does that have to do with anything?"

"One thing I've learned about humans is that they tend to show favoritism to the people that they've developed some measure of a relationship with. They lack the Faunus perception of scent, meaning that emotion largely dictates how they think and feel. Perhaps, if she were to learn more about the White Fang members involved in the incident, she would be less motivated to see harm come to them…she might even befriend them."

"Well, I'd like as peaceful a resolution to that entire mess as we can make it. If you feel that your method is the best way to go about that, I won't argue."

"I don't know if it will be or not. If she'll be staying with me, it's worth an honest chance."

Of course…" He sighed lightly, his smile small as he shook his head fondly. "I'll leave it to you."

"That will be all then. Send Weiss to me, the same time you send the others for training." Blake said, but before she completely dismissed herself, she paused. "Mom's looking for you, by the way. If you don't want to be found, I think you'd better locate some other place to do you work."

"Indeed." He grumbled again. "And just where exactly will you be going?"

"Where do you think I'm going to go?" Blake asked with an upraised eyebrow before answering his question directly. "To find Yang."


	19. Chapter 19

**AYangThang:** We opened the pool yesterday, a process that took longer than it usually does because as we discovered once we pulled the cover off, several tiles fell off the sides. We had to cement them back on, which took some time. I'm also going away later on today to visit some relatives, so I won't be able to post again until I get back...anyway sorry for the lateness of this. The next update is pending whenever I come back home...we're playing that part by ear.

 **Chapter 19**

Yang took what Ruby said to heart. She did love the village, and she wanted to become a well-respected part of their society. She didn't want the Belladonna family name to make life easy for her. Instead, she wanted to earn the respect of the people.

It wasn't going to be easy, Yang knew that. The Faunus of the village had seen Yang as an outlier, the troublesome sort. She hadn't helped change that image of herself, either. Following along in many of Sun's more idiotic teenage antics when she first arrived on the island when she was sixteen. Her storied past was grumbled about by shop keepers and guards alike. She lacked Ruby's discipline, and had caused more than one stampede of Grimm in the forests in her life.

She had a lot to make up for, and figuring out how to do that was going to be half the struggle.

Although the streets weren't as full as usual, there was still a large number of eyes glued to her form. More, than she had ever needed to deal with in the past. Yet, as Yang reminded herself for the umpteenth time, that was the past, and this was now. Yang walked through the streets regardless of the gawking, and the Faunus she passed by cleared a path for her.

Some even bowed to her, the action one that she never would have expected.

It was a strange thing to experience, when just the other day most of the villagers completely ignored her. Banter had been flying around freely ever since she and Blake made a spectacle of themselves at the parties, but Yang didn't expect the entire island to have taken notice. She reached up to her neckline, part of the ink she had placed on her exposed shoulder and upper arm spoke volumes. The Belladonna family crest sitting upon a background with various shades of pink, dark purple, and black.

Maybe that had something to do with how weird everyone had been acting.

Tiptoeing around Yang, unsure of what to make of her. Blake warned her as much. After all, with the Belladonna family crest on her body, what were the villagers to think? It sat upon Yang's skin, telling the world clearly just who she belonged to. It was fresh, it was sore, and it was going to be there until her dying day. In spite of all of that, somehow, Yang knew she would never regret it.

She would do everything in her power to make sure Blake never did either.

The blonde made her way through the markets, shopkeepers working hard to put the district back in working order. Others continued diligently cleaning up the messes left behind by the food stalls, bonfires, and parades. Even though she loved the yearly parties, she liked the relaxed daily living found on the island even better. She thought getting groceries would be a simple tasks, but with most of her usual shops closed, she had to settle with the shops she didn't frequent.

The ones farther away from the coastal communities.

Glancing down at the glass milk jugs sitting on ice, she made a grab at one that looked fresh, sticking it in the wicker basket perched on her arm. It was only after she recalled what usually remained in the refrigerator back at home that she actually reached for a bottle of soy milk too. She no sooner made it to the lone cash register and the elderly Faunus male sitting behind it that she cursed to herself.

That he continued to stare at her made the whole ordeal worse.

"Um, I can't use money, sooo…" She trailed off.

The man nodded to her partially exposed tattoo. "You're a Belladonna now. Got a scent all over you." He leaned forward then, as if to get a better look at the human in question. He'd seen her around, sure, but the humans were more likely to visit the shops by the docks. There trades were often made by passing merchants who also happened to be human. The Faunus on the coast were more tolerable, but even the most sheltered Faunus knew never to argue with Blake's humans, of which this blond was known to be. "Go on then, get out of here. Business concluded."

"I should do something as payment, right?"

Keeping his rather pointed opinion to himself, he sighed. "Dunno what you think you're going to do."

"I could run an errand for you or something."

The gruff old man grumbled to himself, rolling his eyes. "You want to help too?" He groused, pointing to the area behind him. There as a grassy knoll and a small hut he called home. "Go on then, she'll explain."

Confused at first, lilac eyes drifted to where the man was pointing, her gaze falling onto Kali. The Faunus was busy sorting through several baskets of linens by hand. Curiously Yang approached. Even though she liked to think she knew Blake's parents pretty well, that didn't mean Yang made a habit to seek them out on her own for casual conversations. Most of the time, Yang kept her distance.

Kali had always made Yang feel uneasy, a gut reaction that the blond never could explain properly.

Old, faded memories came to life in the little gestures that Kali offered. The cat Faunus was gentle and kind in ways Yang's had always expected mothers should be, but had never personally experienced. Kali was not a figment of the past, her dignity was not held aloft by stories of people who knew her. She was huntress for the sake of being one, to maintain some level of skill in battle, and to harbor some fundamental understanding such principles provided.

In this way, Kali was like every strong woman Yang knew.

Yet, Kali was not the sort of person to leave for extended periods. She didn't vanish, and didn't condone the mentality that such a thing was acceptable.

In that single way, Kali was not like the others. It was that one single difference, so simple, but so life changing that Yang had never been able to fathom the magnitude of it. That Kali had stayed with her family, had chosen to raise Blake, and make that her utmost priority…all of it had addled Yang's mind. Even to this day, she couldn't come to grips with the woman. She couldn't quantify all of the things life had harshly taught her, juxtaposed to the woman who defied each and every cruelty with her unwavering kindness.

Perhaps if Yang had been younger, less jaded when first meeting the woman, she might have adjusted better to a life around Faunus, and the concepts of family. If things had been different, perhaps she would have been more accepting of Kali's gentler, nurturing hand. Kali's desire to offer guidance. Her failed attempts to bond.

As it was, Yang's earliest meetings with Kali were tinged with teenage hostility. Fear edging into Yang's every action, guarded because the wilds were unkind, and civilization was a selfish thing. Time had slowly changed their relationship to something less hostile, but to what extent, Yang had never been sure. It seemed she was about to find out.

She sat down beside the woman, crossing her legs and keeping more of a distance than she needed to. As was natural for the cat Faunus, she said nothing, letting Yang speak to her in the blonde's own time.

"So, what are you doing?" Yang finally managed with her arms crossed, feeling out of sorts when Kali regarded her with a raised eyebrow. "I, uh…" Her brows furrowed, and the awkwardness was bitter enough to taste. Kali, by all rights, was as close to a mother-in-law that Yang would ever get. Yet still, she couldn't find the words to bridge this gap. The idea that trusting Kali would eventually lead to betrayal was as fresh in Yang's mind as ever. "I was told to help."

Kali nodded ever so slightly, another momentary glance towards Yang was all that the woman needed. The car Faunus realized the eggshells Yang walked on. She knew better than the human dared to hope. "I'm about to wash stall covers." Kali told her. "We have an entire week of sullied covers to clean because they were neglected during the festivities."

"Why is that our job?" Yang asked. "We're huntresses..."

"We are whatever we need to be, at the moment that we're needed." Kali replied, her voice strangely casual, in spite of the deep words. "We as women of standing, are matron and matriarch. We are mates as well as mothers. Huntress one moment and den mother the next. In this case, the stall owners have other duties to tend to."

"Like what?"

"Like measuring out the milk and meat rations, and keeping records of what the villagers take back to their homes." Kali pointed out, gesturing back to the old man behind the counter. "You may not know this, but the slightest mismanagement of our supplies could lead to an island wide famine. That's the cost of having so many Faunus, each with their own dietary needs."

"We go onto the mainland as much as we can…" Yang said curling her hands in her lap. "Blake already has Ruby and Pyrrha getting ready for another trip. Med and dust run in Atlas, Ruby says."

Kali nodded at this, but otherwise said nothing else about the matter. Instead, she lightly changed the subject. "I have to admit, you're not one to come this far into the village proper. I wasn't expecting to see you so soon after the nuptials."

"Nuptials? That's got nothing to do with it. All the stalls by the docks are closed." Yang shrugged.

"So they are." The cat Faunus smirked then, wondering if it was intelligent to pry into the matter laying so obviously in front of them. She decided to take the risk. "So, the murmurs bubbling around are true I presume?"

"Depends on the rumors."

"Murmurs." Kali corrected. "You have been mated to Blake." It was the simplicity of the statement that sent an uncomfortable shiver up Yang's spine.

"Maybe…"

"My nose doesn't lie."

"Yeah, well…" Yang flinched over that knowing golden gaze. The uncanny ability to merely accept things as they were had never been a skill that Yang had possessed. She could hardly believe Kali was so relaxed about such a personal matter. "Probably pisses you off, huh?"

"Did I say I was angry?"

"No, but-"

"I'm not angry." Kali interrupted. "I was merely ascertaining the truth of the matter. If your tattoo didn't give you away, the scent all over you certainly does." She gestured over to the basket near the side of the house. "Those have already been washed and need to be hung on the line to dry. If you're at all sincere about wanting to help, you can do that."

"What, just hang them up?"

"They're heavier than they look." Kali said with a smirk, knowing just how heavy a basket of the thick canvas material was when wet.

They worked in silence for several long moments. Kali scrubbing out the black ash, stains, and the scent of smoke from the bonfires. She would glance to Yang on occasion, noting the blonde's discomfort. Kali understood why Yang was so guarded even better than the girl knew. Finally, after the moments ticked by for far too long, Kali made another attempt to extend the olive branch. "Yang, from one mated woman to another, may I give you a word of advice?"

Yang gave Kali a look, not really saying anything, but knowing also that she didn't need to.

"Do not try to live up to the standards of this village. Simply because we live in a particular way does not mean that it is always the best way. or the correct way." Kali said softly. "If you try to hold yourself to a standard beyond your means, you will fail."

"You don't think I can do it, do you?" Yang shot back. "Think I'm just a hooligan. That I'm a human, so I'm not as good as a Faunus, right? Well, here's a wake-up call." Yang said firmly. "I won't fuck it up. I can't do that this time…not if it means letting Blake down."

Kali rubbed her eyes, reminding herself yet again than this anger was never meant to be unleased in her direction. That this pain came from a deeper breach of trust, and was meant to be unleased at a much different person. A woman who Kali knew first had had a twisted idea of loyalty, and a perverted ideology of family. Friends and tribe being held above the importance of flesh and blood.

"Yang, I say it not because you're human, but, because of who Blake is." The Faunus replied, her tone cool and cautionary. "She is her father's daughter in many ways. Ways that make her just as restless and stubborn as he was at her age. Because they are people who do not have the luxury of selfishness, because they will never have the luxury of normalcy as the rest of this island knows it...they have duties that extend far and wide. They cannot just turn a blind eye to the needs of the people."

"Just what are you getting at…"

"She is young, you both are. Lacking the experience that her father and I have when it comes to both domestic and village matters. There is much to learn that only time can teach. The nuances of leading a village are not simple things to learn. Her training in that matter is far from complete...and your experience has yet to even begin."

"Not that it really matters." Yang huffed. "Faunus listening to humans, here? Get real."

"They will listen not because you're a human, but because our bylaws demand that the village leaders be treated with reverence." Kali paused then, regarding Yang at great length. The cat Faunus never said it aloud, but if Yang had been a Faunus, she would have been imposing to say the least. Her body language and natural scent were enough alone to make the wise person cautious. "You must understand, experience is a gift Blake will have at her disposal so long as she can fallow Ghira around and learn from him. You must also study hard, and learn your newfound place among our people."

It was then that Yang's grip on one of the canvas exposed her raw strength for what it was, several droplets of water flowing over her iron grip even though that particular canvas was no longer sopping. "I'm going to do the best I can."

"On your own?"

"What the hell else am I going to do?"

"That's entirely your decision." Kali shook her head then, the feeling of futility returning. "You should not be here at my side because of a payment Yang, but because you wish to learn what it means to be a member of this family, and to the people we dutifully protect and serve."


	20. Chapter 20

**Next Update, Sunday June 24th.**

 **Chapter 20**

 **(Day nine of the cracked lunar year.  
Location: The Island of Menagerie.)**

Blake didn't intend to hide behind the trees and spy on Yang. She didn't even think the blonde would be this far into the village, but the image was impossible to deny. For whatever reason, Yang was working alongside Blake's mother within the confines of the village walls. It should have been impossible, but the image was there anyway, right before Blake's very eyes, a spectacle of impossibility made real by forces that Blake had no desire to debunk.

"We should go before we're spotted." Blake said, dragging her father back onto the pebble laden path to the south.

"Still, it was an interesting sight to see."

"They still don't get along the way I had hoped they would, but that's a start." Blake said in observation as she kept in step beside her father, a set of documents in each of their hands. "Not to say that I expected things to change so suddenly, but Yang really has nothing to fear."

"Time has to show her that." Ghira replied. "History is a powerful thing for each of us, and although it may be for an entirely different reason, she has her scars too."

"That I don't deny, but-"

"In time." Ghira interrupted.

"Normally I'd agree with you, but Yang is not the sort of person that you can just allow to run free without reprimand." Blake took a breath then. "She feeds off of conflict, finds strength in battles of whit. She is a very caring and compassionate person, but beneath that, she looks for a good fight."

"With her equals, perhaps." The man murmured thoughtfully. "She has never understood her place well. Her skill means little to her in the guard. She treats everyone the same, no matter how green they are." Ghira looked behind Blake to where another human followed her, scythe in hand. Ruby was a girl that Ghira knew well. A skilled fighter, and a village recluse. "Tell me, Ruby, is that normal for humans such as yourself?"

"I don't know." Ruby shrugged then, a cookie perched to her lips. "I mean, maybe." She mumbled around it thoughtfully. "I don't think Yang and I are normal humans, though. We're not like most people, if that's what you're asking."

"Perhaps not." He grumbled. Most would never guess that Ruby had just cleared out a nearby gathering of aquatic Grimm from the water's edge. Not with the way she fawned over her snack. The girl was a homing device for sweet baked goods, and truth be told, Kali was often preparing food for the hunters and village guards. The two were close. Even though he knew Ruby well, he felt compelled to raise his eyebrow in her general direction. "What would a normal human do, then?"

"I think that depends on the human…" Ruby said then, this time popping the cookie into her mouth. "More like, it depends on the people we're around? I don't really understand what you're trying to ask."

"Ruby's a solitary huntress. She doesn't need to worry about rank." Blake went on to say. "Even if she did, it's not in her mind _to_ care."

"I see..." Knowing he wasn't going to get the helpful insight he wanted out of Ruby, he turned back to Blake. "Well, anyway, when it comes to Yang, you must wait things out accordingly. You have to give Yang time to adjust. She will come around to see things our way eventually, and your mother knows that too."

"Yang's…different, for a lack of a better word. That's always going to be a problem." Blake hesitated, before blurting out a question that had been deeply on her mind. "Dad, when you chose a mate from outside the village, was it difficult in the aftermath?"

"Is this something you should really be discussing with an audience, Blake?" Ghira asked, almost shrinking when glimmering silver eyes blinked his way. Ruby's unassuming gaze a danger in and of itself, in spite of her seeming docility.

"Ruby is hardly an audience." Blake said. "Even if she was, she'd be a welcome one."

"If you insist…" Ghira muttered. "You're wondering if I met opposition after choosing Kali?"

Blake nodded slightly, her lips thinning into a tight line as she let a breath of exhaustion slip from them. "I was just looking for a connection somehow. Something I could use to my advantage."

"It wasn't widely accepted at first, Blake, you're right about that. However that had little to do with your mother. It had more to do with the village's assumption that they'd be put in danger."

"What danger?" Blake laughed. "Did they think she'd feed you to death or something?"

"Well, she does have a flair for domestic platitudes." Ghira murmured humorously.

Blake snorted at that. "Idiots."

"The wandering Faunus traveled because they had no place to settle. However, as you know, the bandit tribes often did the same. They often lived within shouting distances of each other. Sometimes, they even join together, making larger caravans. You could never really tell who had an affiliation with the bandits." Ghira explained. "Faunus of Menagerie were those of us with no place else to go either, and they were afraid that Bandits would take our homeland from us. It was a reasonable concern, Blake."

"But they do love side by side, they've done it for decades." Blake pointed out. "I'm not saying that bandits are good people or anything, but they've managed where everything else fails. Faunus need to take notice of that, especially Menagerie."

"Yes, well, you may be right, but the Faunus on this island are not yet convinced of that. They might never be." He said softly. "When it came to my mating, it was a vastly different circumstance than yours, Blake. Like it or not, Yang in a human female. There is no similarity in that regard."

"I'm not surprised, I was only trying to be hopeful."

"There are ways to bridge the divide." Ghira said then. "Working by Kali's side would get Yang into the view of the people. Your mother is well respected for reasons beyond being my mate, and that might work in Yang's favor, or more aptly, in yours."

"Yes, you're right." Blake said with a laugh. "However, that would require Yang to actually enjoy doing that."

"So it does." Ghira agreed, the sentiment bore repeating. "So it does."

* * *

If Blake would have lingered a little while longer, she would have noticed that Yang left just as soon as she was able to. The blonde taking home the groceries and meandering around the premises for a solid hour before realizing Blake would be out late. The restless state that Yang found herself in wasn't unusual, and she tossed herself into her workout routine to kill some time.

When even that didn't burn away enough hours in the day, she took a shower and headed back out into the village.

This time, Yang headed directly for the hunter's pub. A confidant grin found its way onto her features when a few surprised old men looked at her. They gawked as though she had lost her mind. Then again, they probably thought that of Blake instead. The stares still weren't letting up over Yang's tattoo, but even so, she flaunted it proudly. She even smiled at those that studied her, hoping a friendly gesture would ease the expressions on their faces.

Opening the large wooden door, she entered into an abyss that only hunters and huntresses dared to dwell in.

She side-stepped a bar fight between two drunk men. Then she ducked when a chair went flying due to the scuffle. She even stopped to watch for a moment, listening to the slurred promises of how they might eviscerate each other. It was nothing new in a place like this. Where hunters and huntresses sat side by side. Faunus and humans alike, glaring daggers at each other, as humans waited for the next ship off of the island.

Things would get violent quickly, the room a powder keg waiting to go off. This was especially true when the argument included a pretty huntress, like the one sitting in the corner.

The spunky but beautiful woman grinned, watching the two men bicker as she heckled them on. Patting her folded up weapon at her side, she cheered when one of the men made contact with the wall. Her wildly exuberant personality made promises that most hunters would dream of, and, she was a human woman besides. That didn't seem to deter the two Faunus men though. Due to the way they were dressed, they probably weren't native to Menagerie.

Rolling her eyes when the man jumped back into the fight, Yang finally made her way to the bar. The bartender knew her of course, glancing her way as if to ask what she wanted.

"The usual will do." She idly drummed her fingers on the counter, watching as he made the drink. "You wouldn't happen to have any work for me, would you?"

"No." The bartender said.

"You sure?"

"I don't need ya. Wukong made a mess of things earlier. Caused all of that..." He said, nodding to the fight. "Stubborn pain in the ass that he is, doesn't even stay to clean it up. Damn fight will last hors at this rate…"

"Yeah, well, no surprises there. Sun likes messes." Yang said with a smirk.

"And you don't?" The bartender scoffed.

"Um, not always." Yang defended, her words falling flat as he glared at her. "Want me to break em' up before they really rip up the place?"

"Nah, don't trust ya."

Lilac eyes narrowed. "You think I'll make things worse, don't you?"

"Understatement of the century." He snarled under his breath.

"Right…okay, so I haven't always been careful. I might have even started a few bar fights in the past, and you're right to be annoyed. That's fair…" Yang said uneasily. "It won't be like that anymore. If I say I'll help, then I will. I'm on my best behavior from now on, promise."

"Till the day someone lights a firework up your ass, maybe. If you ask me, promises like that reek like horseshit."

"Hey, I'm not my uncle, you know…"

"Cut from the same cloth."

"He keeps his word, and he's always helped out around Menagerie when he passes by. He protects your booze shipments, which might I add, are really expensive and hard to come by."

"When it behooves him too, yeah. He helps." The bartender shrugged. "Even so, he always drinks a bottle or two on the voyage. Personal opinion, that's not very professional."

"You wouldn't keep this place open without him." Yang pointed out. "Not with all the Grimm and bandits roaming around on the fringe of civilization."

"Didn't ya hear?" The bartender grumbled. "The Grimm are thinning out along the ports. Soon I won't need him at all."

"Uhhh, you do realize that Qrow's the only one keeping the bandits from stealing your goods, right? Like, without him, they'd take all of your booze before it even reached the port. You'd go out of business. You can't sell drinks, if you can't get them."

"Fair, but that's your uncle." The bartender growled, one single fang bared from under his lip. "As for you, I don't need any more help from like likes of you troublemakers." He set down a mixed beverage. "You young pups don't know shit about being a real huntsmen. You don't know what that even is. All you ever do mess around in the woods, or come here to bring me grief."

"We don't mean to." She could smell the rum as she brought the straw to her lips, taking a tiny sip. "Anyway, I just stopped in for a drink, and I just felt the need to ask if you needed anything since I can't pay cash. Doing the work of the village, it's kind of my job now." She rested heavily on the counter, her tattoo on display for him.

The bartender blinked once, twice, and then rubbed his eyes. "She didn't…" He muttered to himself, looking again. "She did! Well, about god-damn time."

"Thanks." Yang said, her mood brightening instantly from the first real recognition she'd received. "So, about any work…you know, simple stuff."

A low growl slipped from the man's lips. "I dunno…." He said to her from between the aggravated vibrato in his voice. "I don't ask the family for help often. Not my patrons, not their problem. It's the vagabonds that come here, not village regulars."

"It doesn't have to be hard." Yang pushed. "What about things you don't want bother the family with, but that I could do for you? I am a patron, I come here all the time."

"Well, I have a job, but it'll be an inconvenience to the family no matter what you do." He said, pointing over to a man sitting in the far corner of the table. "The guy over there, he's been staying here for weeks. Wants to talk to Ghira. As you can guess, he keeps getting turned down. Maybe if you brought him by, you'd finally get him and that pesky friend of his out of my fur."

"Pesky friend?"

The bar tender pointed over to the human female who was now standing on a nearby table guzzling ale with the victor of the fistfight. "She causes more fights around here than your uncle."

Yang let out a low whistle. "Hell, I should buy her a beer, that's an accomplishment…" She looked over to the human man in question.

"Pain in the ass is what it is." He grumbled in aggravation. "That girl's a feisty one. Easy on the eyes, hard on the ears. Two extremes. Like nails on a chalkboard when she yells, or a bomb going off when she brings out that damn hammer of hers."

"Sounds rough. So, that guy next to her wants to speak to Blake's old man, yeah?" Yang asked, already knowing how hard it would be to grant that request. "Good luck with that. I mean her dad's a great guy, but he doesn't have time to just sit and listen to every complaint we get from the mainland."

The bartender nodded. "Told him that, won't take no for an answer."

Yang just sighed. "Is it a formal complaint?"

"Didn't ask."

"Well, I mean I hate to say it, but it probably is. You know how councils can be. Run by humans, for the humans. I really don't get why."

"None of us do, kid. It's why we live here."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Yang chuckled under her breath. "It makes me wonder what happened. What'd a Faunus do this time, fart in the wrong direction?"

"Wouldn't be surprised if we do get a complaint like that one day. With him though, I don't think that's the case." The bartender explained. "He's quiet, sticks to himself. Unlike his girlie friend, I don't think he's here to start trouble. Though, if you'd take him off my hands, she'll probably go with him."

"Maybe. If they're teamed up together, then there's a good chance of it. Just because we travel together, doesn't always mean we're on the same job, though. She might stay here, if she's looking for something."

"Well, I don't give a shit one way or the other. That's the job." The bartender said. "Get them out of my fur, and as payment, I'll keep my ear low to the ground about you know who. It's a fair trade, don't you think?"

It was an easy choice for Yang, and she took the deal instantly. "Blake's dad, huh? It's not going to be easy. He's always so busy all the time. I'll tell you what, I'll give it a shot."


	21. Chapter 21

**Next Update Friday, June 29th**

 **Chapter 21**

There were occasions, rare though they were, that Blake truly felt mystified by her human companions. There were many small quirks that they seemed to exhibit, some of them more baffling than others. The siblings, Yang and Ruby, shared plenty in common, which is what made their contrasts more appealing. Even so, each woman had some rather enticing, yet troublesome tendencies.

For Yang, it was her blind and boldfaced charisma, often acting before thinking. Her courage and her personality were difficult to handle, her emotions even harder still. Predicting Yang's mood and the nature of it was what Blake considered to be a never-ending struggle.

For Ruby, it was her unstoppable sweet tooth, and her love of sweet confections. Those sad eyes, and puppy-dog pouts that encompassed both her age, and her seemingly innocent outlook on like. Beneath that gentle demeanor a dangerous huntress lay dormant. It would be wrong for anyone to mistake Ruby's playful platitudes, or her desire for levity as childish.

In spite of the way Ruby often came across, she was the furthest thing from a child. "Come on, Blakey, please?" Ruby begged, reaching for the cookie bag that Blake had taken.

"I think you've had enough." The Faunus said, not knowing how many cookies Ruby had eaten today, but she could make a guess. "You're hyper, and we both know I hate it when you're hyper."

"I'm not hyper." Ruby said, sticking out her tongue. "I'm just…bouncy."

"Which means you're either made of rubber, or you've had way too many cookies. I'd be willing to believe both at the moment."

"No way, you can never have too many cookies."

"Oh, I'm sure you can, and I'm also sure that you've toed that line today." Blake knew that this bag was from a different bakery than Ruby's first earlier that day. She also knew that the resident cookie fiend made a habit of skipping breakfast, and snacked throughout the afternoon when she did. "I have no idea how many you ate, but I know the number will be at least double what a person should have. It's probably closer to quadruple."

"They're so good though. Why put them down, when they're nice in fresh?" Ruby said, jumping for the bag, only to have Blake easily sidestep her. The Faunus taking some pleasure in holding the confections away from her. "Damn." She cursed, the word nearly silent on the air. "Blake, give me those cookies now." Ruby began to grouse. "I've been cooped up in that stupid administration building all day long."

"You didn't have a choice. We had to file away all of the paperwork and add what we could to the computer systems. It's a lengthy process."

"And I hate doing that."

"I know…"

"The least you could do is give me the cookie bag I had to brave the crowds for." The damn watery eyes did her in every time. Blake felt her resolve cave, dropping the brown paper bag into Ruby's waiting hands. The girl inspected the cholate morsels for any damage, finding none. Then Ruby sighed happily, taking one and popping it into her mouth. "No matter how many times I eat one, it's always as good as the last."

"Hmm." Blake sounded, her voice placid. "Doubtful. Cut back a little, I mean it."

Ruby only smirked in defiance. "Spoilsport."

"I just don't share the same love of sweets as you do." Blake explained as she smoothed out Ruby's messy tendrils of short hair. "I think I'd get quite a bit sick of chocolate chip cookies if I ate them in the same quantities that you do."

"My cookies, your tuna." Ruby deadpanned, as though Blake's dislike of the sweet confections were an insult.

"Yes, yes, you might have a point. We each have our comfort food, mine's just more expensive and harder to come by." Blake agreed gently, hoping that it might be enough to placate the shorter woman. Ruby rarely exhibited anger, but Blake could tell, the short huntress had been more than a little miffed by Blake's teasing. It was time to leave the topic aside for the moment. "More importantly Ruby, have you and Pyrrha agreed on the details of the mission?"

"Kinda…" Ruby said, tiling one hand back and forth, indicating the shakiness of the statement. Then she took another cookie out of the bag, this time only taking a small bite, and chewing it thoughtfully. "Not to sound like I'm just going to complain, but keeping Yang here really does make it hard to come up with our teams."

"You'll just have to get creative." Blake said, unwilling to budge on the topic. "I want Yang to stay put. She's my mate."

"And she's my sister." Ruby shot back with a small, playful, grin. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Everything." Blake said, her tone soft but serious. "Is the fact that she's your sister supposed to change my position on the topic?"

"Is the fact she's your mate supposed to change mine?" Ruby echoed back. "Trust me, I get it. I know why you don't want her to leave, but if you're going to mess up my usual team composition, then you've got to give me time to sort it out."

"Ruby, are you worried about the mission because Yang won't be with you?" Blake asked with a raised eyebrow, her arms crossing over the shorter woman's shoulders and pulling her close.

"No, not really." Polishing off the rest of the cookie, she rolled up the paper bag and carefully set it to the side. Clearing her fingers of crumbs, she rested her hands on Blake's own and leaned back into the embrace, closing her eyes. "I'm not _worried_ exactly."

"Well then," Blake began slowly. "What is it that's on your mind?"

"I think you have the right idea about keeping Yang here. I think she'll be happier, I even told her that." Ruby sighed. "All the same, it doesn't make it easy on me knowing that we've got to leave her out of the rotation. Yang's a powerhouse and she's versatile."

"Mmm." Blake voiced, lowly. "I know. Flexible too. Very, very flexible."

"We, Blake, I didn't mean like that!" Ruby shot back, more than a little mortified. Her brows furrowed in disgust as she craned her head to look behind her. "Don't be gross."

"Oh, but it's so much fun to see you glare at me like that." Blake said softly. "You do it so rarely after all."

The shorter woman rolled her eyes. "I meant that she's almost perfect for northern missions. It's like she's built to beat down artic Grimm. Besides, she's like a portable space heater, pull on her hair a little, and the cabin below deck heats up just like that." Ruby said, snapping her fingers, to make her point. "Not having Yang there is going to suck. We'll figure it out, but I need more time."

"You wouldn't be procrastinating, would you?" Blake asked. "Waiting for one of my warriors to be free, or perhaps trying to talk Sun into going with you…"

"Sun hates the northern missions."

"He hates Atlas, but that's of no consequence to me." Blake corrected, as she broke the embrace and headed for a nearby sitting room. Other household members lounged around after a tiring day. "If I order him to go, he will go."

"Could you not order him, though?" Ruby asked lightly. "I want my team going because they want to be there, not because you forced them to…" Ruby looked down at the floor then. "I'm not like Pyrrha, I don't do a good job leading people who haven't volunteered."

"If I say that he will go, then he will go." Blake said simply. "If you tell me your desired team, I will make it happen…"

"Yeah, but that's the problem. I don't like it when you do that. I want him to want to be there with the rest of the team." Ruby protested. "If he doesn't want to, you can't force him."

"Oh, I do believe I can."

"But Blakey, I'm asking you not to."

The Fauns sighed at length. "Alright, alright, enough with the puppy eyes." The Faunus murmured.

It was at this time that Yang came into the room. The blonde smelling of booze and flopping down between Blake, and her confused sister. Yang's knuckles dug into Ruby's scalp as the blonde grinned. The smile was obviously forced as she released Ruby from a headlock. "Heya sis, I need to talk to Blakey about a village thing, and it can't wait."

Even the tone of her voice seemed off. Oozing with forced happiness. Pretending as though nothing was wrong, even though both of them knew that something obviously was.

"What's up, Yang?" Ruby asked.

"Nothing you have to worry about, it's on me." The blonde promised. "It'll take a few seconds. Well maybe longer. I won't keep Blake from you all night, but this kind of can't wait."

"We're kind of in the middle of something, Yang." Ruby shot back.

"Yeah, and usually I'd be out at the pub for at least a few more drinks so that I didn't come back to you two getting freaky or something." Yang said with a shrug. "It's a village thing, though, sis. I've got someone waiting to talk to her, and from what I hear, he's been waiting a long time." Then she turned to Blake, her voice softer still. "So how about it? Talk now, or talk later?"

Blake felt her head throb.

There were few things that could be as annoying as Yang's antics. When the blonde approached her quietly, sat beside her demurely, and acted subdued and mild mannered, Blake just _knew_ that Yang had done something she wasn't supposed to. She rolled her shoulders, murmuring a dismissal to the female servant behind her. To the huntresses flanking her sides, she gazed to them gently.

"Leave us." It was a simple command, but heeded by even those of her most well respected peers and household members.

"Should I go too, or…" Ruby trailed off.

Blake looked up to Yang, sometimes when the blonde was in a bad mood, Ruby could talk her out of it. This seemed different, more personal. Her gaze flicked back to Ruby, seeing the worry in silver eyes. "I think it would be best." Blake said slowly, studying Ruby's expression. "Leave us for now, I will come in search of you later to continue discussing the mission."

Ruby nodded, standing up, walking passed Blake. A kiss on her cheek swift and playful. It was almost an afterthought, or so it seemed, but it made Blake happy anyway. The wolfish grin and raised eyebrow Yang sent in Blake's direction caused her to scoff. "What, am I not allowed to receive affection from another in my household?"

"Just not used to Ruby seeking you out…" Yang mentioned truthfully. "Normally it's the other way around."

"It seems that way, doesn't it? Ruby has come into her own, though. She's docile, responsive, but unquestionably opinionated." Blake replied simply. "I have no issues when it comes to my courtship proceedings with her. Although, that being said, she's made it quite clear that I will have to go to great lengths if I ever wish to claim her as my own."

"Never thought Ruby could be that demanding about anything."

"It's just the way she is." Blake frowned then, an unhappy thought skittering along in her mind like a bug. "It may never happen at all, she's pleased with our current arrangement."

"I think that's because you've got competition." Yang said, nodding over to the other room, where Ruby was already curled up in Sun's hammock, laying with the monkey Faunus while the two of them ogled some sort of television program on the small scroll.

"It's the claiming she takes issue with." Blake said with an offhanded shrug. "Affectionate though she may be, Ruby is whimsical to say the least. I think it comes down to the true thread of independence that flows through her entire being. She many never want to be claimed by anyone…even human marriage might be impossible. Honestly, none of that is my current concern." Only a lone servant remained in the far corner of the room, hidden in the shadows. A personal guard and Blake dismissed her as well. "You came to me wishing to talk, so, let's talk..."

"Promise not to be mad?" Yang asked almost all too quickly, and cringing when a black eyebrow raised in her direction. "Okay, so I did something. It's not bad, not this time, anyway."

Blake licked her lips, and considered the rebuttal slowly. Her eyes slipped closed. "When I took you as my mate, I knew you would have to start partaking duties relative to my bloodline. You even asked me if you could, and I agreed on one condition. That you carry yourself with dignity and honor. The same way that I would carry myself."

"I think I did a good job of doing that today." Yang grinned, but it faltered too quickly. "Maybe too good a job. Maybe too much."

Blake opened her eyes and studied her mate. She knew the woman had a heart a gold. That Yang lacked the cold and calculated logic of a ruler tending to the needs of thousands. It was a skill that would come with time. "So, tell me, Yang, what did you do?"

"I brought someone home to meet with you, like I said." Yang sighed when Blake's deep level of study persisted. "It's a guy, he's human like me. He wanted to talk to your dad. Since I knew that wasn't going to happen, I thought…maybe…" Yang shook her head. "Well, to be honest, I don't think I was thinking. Not all that clearly, anyway."

"Out with it, Yang…"

"I thought you'd talk to him instead." Yang spluttered. "It seemed important, but, you can still say no. It'll be me that lets him down, not you."

"A distinction without a difference." Blake pointed out. Yang's admission was one that stole a heavy sigh out of her. The Belladonna's didn't take money for their services to the people. Only receiving favors of their own for good deeds. She was brought to wonder what Yang would receive for this. "So, what was the deal worth to you? You must have received some type of payment."

"The bandit tribes on the mainland...they're moving around again." Yang said. "I might get some info on my mom a buddy at the hunters pub, if I'm lucky."

Blake said nothing to this at first, causing Yang to shrink down into her seat. She was unperturbed by Yang's obvious discomfort, allowing her to feel the unmitigated aggravation that such a deed would cause. It was bullheaded, and it was selfish, but Blake had to admit she understood the reasons why Yang had agreed to it. Even if she wouldn't personally favor the choice as a good one. "I see."

"You're not mad at me, are you?"

Blake shook her head. "No, it's not that simple." The Faunus said gently. Instead, her golden eyes cast down to the floor, thoughtfully studying the rings in the wood. It was only after she'd given it some thought that her eyes returned to her mate. Her fingers caressing Yang's tattoo. "Yang, remind me again, where exactly I found you five years ago?"

"A whorehouse."

"A whorehouse…where?" Blake pressed.

"Mistral." Yang looked down at her hands in shame.

"And what were you doing?"

"You know what I was doing." Yang bit out. "What I keep doing…" A surge of guilt washed over her as she thought about how Blake might view her actions. "Fuck, Blake I'm sorry, I just want to know her…what she's like. That's why I followed you here at first, it was the first solid lead I had."

"The bandit tribes haven't had dealings with Menagerie decades. I told you that."

"I know, but that might be changing now...and if not, I want the chance to find her, and see for myself."

"Yang, it's more complicated than that."

"I know."

"When it comes to your past, and to further extent, your mother's past, it has not been a good one." Blake said ever so slowly, caution deep within her throat. "The matter has always been out of my hands, and it's not within my concern to meddle in human affairs."

"But you do sometimes…"

"When it comes to you, yes." Blake allowed. "You are, and have always been a special case. All the humans here in Menagerie are. I knew when I found you, that you had a warrior's body. That you were meant for greater things than what could be provided to you in a den of ill-repute. You were so out of place, and it hurts to think about what you'd chosen to endure while being there. It wasn't a choice you made because you wanted to."

"What else was I going to do?" Yang groused softly.

"I brought you here to keep you out of that life." Blake said. "I kept you here on this island for your own good. The bandit tribes are more vicious than even the most feral Faunus, and Raven is a known leader."

"That's why I feel like I'm so close this time. If they're on the move, they might move closer to here." Yang said. "I know it bothers you when I go snooping around. It's just that she's my mom, Blake. Don't you think I have a right to know about her?"

"I do, I just don't think you'll like what you find. Even so, it's your choice, and that's why I turn a blind eye to many of your antics. No matter how troublesome they are." Blake let loose another sigh as she thought about how best to deal with this newest set of issues. "I know you search for her diligently, same as you did back then, but you have to understand something. Raven Branwen is not the sort of woman you trifle with."

"I'm going to find her, Blake."

"If she doesn't want to be found, she won't be. What would you do now, even if you found her?"

"I don't know." Yang murmured. "I haven't gotten that far. Things..." she raised her hand to her tattoo. "Things are different now, plans kind of changed."

"What were they before?"

"I don't want to think about it."

"That wasn't what I asked." Blake shot back. "Yang you've directly involved me in this now. You don't have the luxury to keep quiet."

"Look, when I left my dad back on Patch, I promised my dad that I'd bring my mom home. That we'd be a family. I was so sure of that. I didn't run away from home just to give up, turn around, and go crawling back to my dad on hands and knees." Yang huffed and turned away. "He would be ashamed of me now, anyway. I can't go back there anymore."

"Why?" Blake pressed.

"Because…"

"Because, why?" Blake asked again.

"Just…because he would hate me, okay?"

"Because you are mated to a Faunus?" Blake asked. "Because you stand among the strongest huntresses in Menagerie? Because you must learn to be a leader for the people here?"

"My dad is a famous huntsman, Qrow too. Even my mom, she's got a reputation. They're nothing like me. I haven't made anything of myself." Yang said softly. "How do I go home with nothing to show for it? I don't want to let him down, but I know I will…"

Blake reached out, pressing her fingers delicately under Yang's chin, guiding her gaze back to Blake's own. "You have accomplishments, and the weight of thousands on your shoulders. Your burdens now are heavier than your father's will ever be."

"That doesn't change what I did."

"…you didn't do anything, Yang."

The blonde snorted, the self-loathing in her tone sharp as ever. "Most dads don't want their kid ending up where I was…not even to go searching for someone. Sleeping around like I was? Yeah, that's bad. If you're a girl, you're not supposed to. Guys see it as dirty, other girls think you don't have any self-respect, and both sides look down their noses and judge you."

Blake sat still, largely unimpressed. "A father who judges so harshly, is not worth the emotional effort."

"Look, it's just different for humans." Yang shot back, eyes so deeply red, and yet moist with tears. "It doesn't matter what reasons you have, it's never good enough…humans see that kind of sex as a taboo thing."

"That's a problem that extends far beyond the moral boundaries of humans, Yang." Blake reminded gently, thumbs brushing away the salty droplets. "True, humans are probably more vocal about it, but many Faunus feel the same about heat. Not every Faunus woman has it, so those that don't sometimes lack acceptance of those that do."

"I'm sure Qrow's told him all about where I've been..." Yang said, pulling away. "They talk about everything, so he has to know. I don't think I can face him, knowing that."

"I'm sorry you feel that way. It's hardly a comfort, but in this, we're not so different. I do see where you're coming from, though." The Faunus wondered why the humans were so talkative about negative things, chalking it up to their lack of greater perceptions. "We might not be as vocal about our judgements, Yang, but Faunus do have them, and _it is vitriolic_ at its worst. My father and I disagree all the time, too. You know that well."

"Maybe, but you never have to worry about your dad not accepting you for something like that. He actually understands you, Blake. My dad never really understood me, he tried I think, but just never ever really got it." Yang shrugged, but her words were lighter, slightly more at ease. "I just don't think I could face him after everything. I don't even know what I'd say. Sometimes I wonder if that's why mom left for good…because she's done things she just can't, or won't talk about…if she was too ashamed to face us, or something."

"Facing your father one day will be inevitable." Blake said with a chuckle. "I'd like to at least be acquainted with your sire."

"Yeah, well, I can't promise you'd get along. He's like a dude form of me, but rougher around the edges. He makes your dad look perfect."

"That isn't a concern I care to have, but let's put that aside." Blake replied offhandedly. "It seems that you are very intent to receive this information on Raven, and that means I have to do something about the human male you brought home." She had preparations to make, and she wasn't quite sure how to make them. "I will meet with this wayward stray of yours in the morning. Until then, he can wait in a guest room. You'll put him there and see to his amenities."

"What are you going to do?" Yang asked, her hands rubbing together slowly, worrying.

"I'm going to prepare myself." Blake said softly. "Tomorrow will be a very busy day."


	22. Chapter 22

**Next Update: Friday July 6th.**

 **Chapter 22**

Yang was prone to nightmares, they haunted her often enough. When she woke up, she remembered each of them vividly, and each time she had one, it stayed around. Her worst nightmares were the ones in the cities. Memories that were real, flooding her with depression, rage, and bitterness that she didn't even have excuses for. The one that happened on this night startled her. She guiltily removed herself from the bed she was resting on, leaving Blake cocooned in the blankets and on her own.

She stepped into another bedroom, this was larger, with communal beds.

In the dim light, it was hard to see who was sleeping with who. These people were her friends, her family, and she trusted them without question. On one bed, two men cuddled up together, the much larger male taking up almost the entirety of the space. Yang liked to think of him like a huge teddy bear, a gentle giant. On another bed, a blonde man with short scruffy hair and a redhead lingered dead to the world around them.

Yang thought it would be wrong to wake either one of the blissfully resting couples. After watching them sleep for a moment longer, passed them by.

Another bed over, a cat Faunus and a shorter human lay sleeping in a bed dotted with candy wrappers. Yang smirked at the sight, waking the both of them up gently. Then she asked them to stay with Blake. They eagerly agreed, the Faunus woman, Neon all but flinging herself into the bedroom with her tail quaking in delight. The human girl lingered, grey eyes peering up at her older, half-sister.

"Nightmare?" The girl asked, causing Yang to nod. "What was it about?"

Like always, Yang shook her head. "don't worry about it." Just because the girl had chosen to stay with her, didn't mean that she wanted her little sister to know the kind of past that Yang had. She smiled and ruffled those dark tresses. "I want you to go stay with Blake too. You're the only ones that can get her to stay put when I need time to think."

She nodded. "Okay, but if you need to talk, I'm here."

"I know, Ruby." Yang said, forcing a smile as she shooed her off. "Now go and make sure Blake stays in bed. She needs to actually sleep."

She passed by a few more beds with others sleeping in them. Her movements were slow and careful. The next room opened to a huge bathing area, and the next two rooms after that were more areas for sleeping. They were empty, but would soon house the new recruits. She bypassed them and entered into the main living areas where the house branched off into several rooms and hallways.

The large home was made to fit the huge number of people living there. That detail amazed Yang each and every day.

She stepped out to the balcony, and leaned heavily on the railing. Closing her eyes, she remembered the first time she ever encountered Blake Belladonna.

 **(City of Mistral, five years ago)**

She danced on stage, a fifteen year old, barely of age for the Kingdom, her birthday soon to come. She was a well-developed teenager, though, easy on the eyes, and the people at the brothel knew this. It's why they took her in, and let her stay. A bed, a meal, and meager pay, and all she had to do was pleasure a person for the night. It was a degrading job, but an easy one.

The only one she _could_ get, when she went around in search of a woman affiliated with bandits. Good establishments kicked her out, but at a whorehouse, no one asked questions. No one lingered over why she might be looking for Raven Branwen. They simply didn't care.

Putting her body on display, she waited to be chosen for the night. Countless eyes leered at her from the sounding tables, and truth be told, she felt a little sick at the thought. It happened every night though, and she had gotten used to the attention, pushing aside the unhappiness bubbling in the pit of her gut. A cloaked figure in black approached her first.

Yang couldn't see much of the approaching party, only golden eyes glinting in the dim light. It had to be a Faunus in that garb. Human eyes didn't carry that sort of reflection bathed in firelight.

"Are you clean?" The person asked, low and quietly. Clearly, a woman's voice.

"As far as I know, I am." Yang said softly, feeling a little put off by the question. For all she knew, it was the truth. She checked regularly, and tried to be careful. She used protection, and saw a medic frequently. Still, it was a calculated risk in establishments like these.

"May I?" The Faunus asked again, and Yang nodded. "You're sure?" The second question again receiving a nod. At the invitation, the Faunus slipped a hand from her cloak. She let it wander under the all too short dress that Yang was wearing. Her fingers sliding against Yang's womanhood, knowing that the blonde had obviously waxed.

"You keep yourself well groomed." She said pointedly.

"I try." Yang said, her cheeks tinting pink under the scrutiny.

"You are also very lovely. Would you accompany me tonight?"

Yang only nodded, eyes casting down shyly. What did she say to that, really? Her confidence rested strictly with drunks and the occasional huntsman looking for a warm place to rest his tired body. Women didn't frequent the establishment, and when they did, they were normally younger girls. Curious lesbians, seeking an experienced hand. What made things even more confusing was that although she had been given compliments before, it was nothing quite like this.

"Will you come with me?" The woman asked again.

Yang nodded once more in return.

"Please, I'd like to hear you say it." Even if it was obviously a proposition, woman's tone softened Yang's resistances. A request for some measure of trust slipped between the words. It was, truth be told, a strange thing to want from a woman of the night.

"If you want me to." Yang said, curious as to what the Faunus had planned.

"Wonderful, come with me then." She took Yang's hand in her own, thumb brushing against her knuckles. Those were unlike the rest of Yang's body. They were rough to the touch, a fighter's knuckles. Putting the matter aside, she guided Yang to the owner of the establishment. She paid a hefty amount of lien, and turned to Yang. "I have a place we can stay. We can go there, if that's agreeable to you. It's private, well protected."

"There's no rules against it." Yang had her own room in the Bordello, of course, but the stranger had kind eyes. It was a gentle request, and Yang agreed. Willing to be taken away from the hellhole she called home. This gentle soul was so different than the others, so calm and collected, Yang wanted to trust her. The cloaked woman leaned up to kiss her on the lips, and then pulled away.

"Come with me." The Faunus had said with a gentle smile, hiding away for the night in a hotel not far away. There she tossed aside her cloak, looking at Yang with a simple, unrefined hunger.

"I'm in heat." She said, lustfully. "My first one, and I was hoping you could help with that."

It wasn't a demand, Yang realized, and she smirked at the somewhat subdued appearance of the woman, now in full view. Her ears were down, flat against her head, golden eyes hungry, and yet unsure. Yang smirked, a virgin was in front of her tonight, she was positive. The Faunus woman was beautiful, and lilac eyes crinkled in amusement as Yang held out her hand, watching as the woman took it. She guided the woman into another kiss, her lips pale and velvety soft pressing against her own.

They lingered that way, as Yang took her time to really feel the tremble that lingered there.

Then, smirking into the kiss, she hoisted the girl up, pinning her to the door, the Faunus squeaking in surprise. Yang pulled away then, to glimpse into amber eyes. The dark haired girl couldn't have been much older, and if this was her first time in heat, she was probably ready to take things further. So Yang leaned in again, kissing her again as she began to work at Blake's clothes, the wall between them giving Yang the leverage to begin unfastening buttons and snaps quickly.

The Faunus tensed up and flinched against every tiny touch, pressing her body into the feeling. Wanting more, seeking and searching for the sweet release that the blonde denied her. Their passion was wild, untamed, Blake's breath becoming shallow and hard to come by as quiet moans tore from her throat. Fingers slid under the waistband of her clothes, touching her in all the right ways, a maddening storm within her swirling to be unleased.

Her cool demeanor could not be held back by the shackles of her mind, and her instincts as a Faunus took over, riding the waves of her first heat in full. She let her orgasm wash over her with a growl, spreading her legs wider as she bucked into the woman's hand, wetness in large supply made her desires known. She let her own hands tangle in blonde tresses, as she bit back another deep growl.

"Careful not to pull." Yang breathed.

The Faunus could hardly register the request, but promised to try and not yank at the silk in her fingers. So soft, so wavy, as if that blonde hair had a mind of its own. Finally, she was spent, a puddle in the woman's arms, deep purring slipping from her chest as her forehead fell forward into a robust shoulder. This powerful woman was a mystery, but Blake knew one thing.

This woman, whoever she was, was not simply a woman of the night.

She was something more.

Tarnished, tainted, and struggling to survive in a city where there was nothing for a person of her caliber. She was heaven's mercy, and hell's reprieve.

Yang slipped her fingers away from the quivering womanhood, the Faunus letting out a soft mewl of discontent. The blond didn't say a word as she began carrying her down the hall and towards the bath.

The night was a long one, mixed with sex and sin. The hot bath had done wonders for the Faunus woman and her vigor, but it was her heat that kept her starving for more. Yang had her work cut out for her as she toyed and teased, tempting and tormenting the dark haired cat Faunus to orgasm over and over again. In those muddled actions, Yang found a sad little truth.

How many other Faunus were driven to seek a bedmate in this way? She was compelled to wonder. Were they were so completely lonely? Or was only hormones that demanded this sort of satisfaction?

Still, she couldn't bring herself to ask, and, she would never know. They'd fallen asleep that way, in a heap of limbs, exhausted and spent.

When Yang woke up, it was only a few hours later. The thick drapes of the room were drawn closed, keeping the room protected from the earliest rays of morning sun. Although the curtains seemed to glow magenta from where the sun slapped down on them. The rest of the room was dark as pitch. She felt around, but the bed was empty. The Faunus woman was gone, or so she thought.

Then, the sound of a purr echoed in the room. A lighter striking sent a small flicker of flame into the room, briefly showing the contours of the woman's face, and the rolled up paper between her lips.

The rolled up joint perched between those soft, slightly bruised lips. The ones she had kissed, and coaxed a sinners sounds from only hours ago. Yang's body felt heavy and light all at the same time, blood boiling, and skin tingling at the memories. She wondered if the woman was still in heat. She sat up, taking in the shadowy features, and the glowing amber eyes that reflected even the smallest of light.

The Faunus smoked the entirety of it, the spices wafting thickly across the room during the long moments of silence.

"You can't see very well, can you? I'll fix that." She finally spoke. It was a rhetorical question, and the Faunus already clearly knew the answer. As she shuffled about, lighting a few candles to set the entire room in a very dim glow, she gazed back at the blond. "Better?"

"Yeah, way better." Yang nodded. "Thanks."

"I'm surprised you're awake. I worked you pretty hard last night." The Faunus told her, smirking and blushing, eyes glancing down to the floor. "Thank you for that, by the way."

"Is it better now?" Yang asked. "You're uh, you're heat?"

"To some extent." She lifted her gaze back to the blonde, genuinely happy for the attention. "Heat can be difficult at times. Towards the end of our cycle, it is rather intense. You helped with that, so, well…just thanks, you know?"

"Eh, no big deal. It's my job." Yang shrugged. "You paid me to do it, so I did. No need to get all sentimental about it."

The Faunus looked at her, amber eyes studying Yang for a brief moment before a laugh rang out. "Somehow, I get the feeling things are more complicated than that."

"Huh?" Yang asked dumbly. "What do you mean by that?"

The dark haired woman looked around the small hotel room, trying to put her thoughts together as best as she could. The white robe barrowed from the bathroom covering her form, and she stuffed her hands into the soft pockets. "I'm no city dweller. Girls like you, they're not common around here. I was kind of worried when I first felt your knuckles in the brothel. Your hands are a fighter's hands…if you were a little older, I might have mistaken you for a huntress."

"Well, if you really want to know, it's because I am a huntress." Yang told her. "Or, rather, I was training to be one. Things happened, that changed."

"I see." The Faunus replied before gesturing to the room service platter on the table. "Are you hungry? It was complimentary. There's morning cakes, coffee, and tea."

"No thanks." Yang said, even though she was starving. She knew better than to eat food she hadn't seen prepared herself. "I don't eat with the clients."

"That's unfortunate, they gave me way too much." Blake stood up and retrieved the blonde's clothes. "I hope you don't mind, but I had this laundered for you. Forgive me for asking, but isn't a dress a little hard to fight in? As a huntress, I mean."

"You normally don't try to fight at the brothel." Yang told her. "I do have a combat garb, if that's what you're asking…I just don't use it much anymore. No real need, since I don't leave the walls, but never mind that. We don't have to make small talk, we're total strangers. I don't think I even managed to catch your name last night…"

"You never asked." The Faunus laughed, coming to sit at Yang's side. "I'm actually pretty well known, although not around here. That'll change one day. Eventually even everyone here will know me, it's inevitable. I come from the Belladonna family."

"Oh..." Yang then cocked her head to the side. "so they must be locals then, right?"

"Hardly." The Faunus murmured, humor dripping from her voice. "I'm Blake Belladonna, and I hail from Menagerie."

 **(Island of Menagerie, present day)**

Yang opened her eyes at the soothing memory. At the time she would have never known it, but Blake had changed her life in that instant. For ten consecutive days, without even knowing each other's names, Blake, a young, but high ranking member of the White Fang, had taken her to bed. At the end of it all, an awkward invitation and an extra boat ticket had given Yang a new lease on life.

A reason to keep fighting Grimm, a reason to keep being a huntress, and fulfilling place to live her life.

It didn't stop the questions about her past from forming in her head, but it kept the regret and shame away. It might have been a chance encounter, but Yang knew she wouldn't have had it any other way. Everything in front of her now, including the peace of mind she could find in these quiet hours of the morning, made everything worth it. It was moments like this, she thought about giving up her search, casting it aside and never thinking of it again.

It was moments like this, she almost forced herself to. Then, she heard the Grimm roaring in the distance, and she knew, she could never give up.

An exhausted blur of black shadow jumped up from the ground, landing with a thud on the roof. The Faunus then jumped down, standing beside Yang. "The grounds are safe." The Faunus spoke quietly, kneeling down and waiting for further orders. Unfortunately for the guard in question, Yang wasn't good at doling those out.

"Shouldn't you go home, to your family?"

"If you permit it so." The man said.

"Then go home, Corsac." Yang said with a smirk. "Where's your brother, anyway?"

"Fennac continues to patrol." He said, standing from his position. He stepped forward, to look out at the forests. "The Grimm are moving along the shores, as is expected after the festival. We should predict them to be aggressive in the coming weeks. I have sent a missive to our brothers and sisters on the costal mainland, warning of the heightened Grimm activity, just to be safe."

"Then, that's all you can do." Yang said. "Check back with Blake later, but I can't honestly think of anything else."

"Then I shall be sure to do so." He bowed deeply to her before he jumped off into the darkness. "Have a pleasant day."

"Yeah, you too." She said to his retreating form.

Yang stood there a moment longer taking in the grey skies that occurred just before first light. She wondered how it looked to Faunus eyes. Were the stars quite as beautiful? She had no idea, and she once asked Blake, but the Faunus had only shrugged at the question.

Such was life, or so it seemed...


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

 **(Day ten of the cracked lunar year.  
Location: The wilds of Mistral.)**

The sun had yet to rise.

Nestled high among the cliffs, Raven watched the territory. Her deep crimson eyes coolly scanning over the land that her people had claimed as their own. Behind her one of her most loyal members stood behind her. Raven had been expecting her visit, complete with several vials of dust and a full report of what her tribe had been up to.

It was all standard information, but Raven wasn't happy with that. It seemed ill-fitting. Something still irked her, she couldn't quite place it, but there was _something_ that still seemed out of place. She could feel it on the breeze, that unsettling malignancy.

"And there has been no other movement from my brother? Raven asked.

"No."

"What about the other bandit tribes?"

"Not recently." The sitting woman murmured as she too overlooked the land. "Qrow went into the city, but wandered back into the woods drunk. None from his group have strayed far from their camp since."

"There's only the two others, correct?"

"Yes. Winter Schnee, and a boy."

"Her little brother." Raven said in explanation.

"Neither of them have moved far from their campsite. We've been keeping an eye at a distance."

Raven hummed softly in acceptance. "Will our dust supply last in the event of a boarder argument?"

"It'll hold out. Did you really think it wouldn't be enough?"

Raven shrugged. "Torchwick isn't always so generous with the way he handles our allotments. I wanted to ascertain that our current situation remained satisfactory." She licked her lips then. "What of the White Fang, then?"

Her companion said nothing, frowning deeply in thought. A worrying sight to say the least. Bandits were never known for being careful, schooling their emotions happened to be a rather foreign concept among the tribes. There were several reasons for that, all of them perfunctory, and hardly worth Raven's notice. However, this woman particularly was unlike most of the tent dwelling people.

She had not been raised in the tribes, but rather absorbed into them. A woman with no place else to go, her loyalties resting entirely on Raven and her leadership. As a result, she still held the ghosting images of the village girl she used to be close at heart, her actions sometimes reflecting that.

"Vernal." Raven spoke pointedly. "You're report, please."

Scratching at the short hair atop her head, the woman sighed. "Honestly?" She murmured then. "I dunno. It's difficult to say, really. We can't get anything solid."

"I'm hardly surprised." Raven sighed at length. "Ever since Ghira allowed the White Fang's influence to spread beyond his borders, they've begun to splinter. You can say what you want about Mistral's branch of the White Fang, but they're no different from us. There's nothing noble in the way Sienna Khan uses her influence."

"Fewer Faunus are joining the tribes, so they must see something in her."

Raven let out a dark laugh at that. "What could they see in her, Vernal, really?"

"The same thing we see in you, maybe?"

"No, we're not the same. We might be equally ruthless in our mentality, but that's by societal design." She bit her lower lip, the heel of her boot digging into the dry soil. The gravel grinding as she turned and paced a little. "It's been peaceful lately." Raven said thoughtfully then. "Too peaceful among the tribes."

"Everyone's laying low."

"I can see that." Raven muttered. "I don't blame them."

Vernal was sure that all of the tribes in the area felt the creeping malignancy of peace. The organized state of the bandit tribes, the hushed stillness of the thieves and murders that lived among them. All of it was unsettling. When even the most sadistic bandits refused to let out even a peep, everyone took notice. "We've been staying away from the cities, like you ordered, but we're still getting messages from the inside. The academy headmasters don't see anything wrong with what's going on. They think the wilds are quiet, that the Grimm are thinning out."

"They are." Raven murmured. "But that's not a good thing."

"They believe it to be."

"The headmasters are short sighed." Raven spat. "It's just idiotic to think that way, plain and simple. The moment any headmaster believes that they can truly maintain this level of balance and harmony have another thing coming." She turned back to Vernal, her words deadly serious. "It's the calm before the storm."

During this beatific time of year, even in the shattered moonlight, everything was bathed in color. The flowers bloomed among the rich dark grasses. The crystal clear waters were perfect to drink. The flora and fauna alike were plentiful, food easy to come by. All of it, a usual boon to the bandits, resources vital to their survival as a tribe. Yet, Raven, like most of her tribe, was experienced as a huntress.

She knew that the lack of Grimm tracks, and the rare sightings she came across in recent days, meant that the Grimm were moving away from humanity. This spoke deadly volumes, because humanity, like it or not, were the primary prey of all Grimm.

Living or dead, the beasts didn't care.

"It's time like this that I curse this burden placed onto me." Raven muttered hotly.

"With all due respect, the burden shouldn't have been all on you. Qrow should have stepped up."

Raven scoffed at that as she closed her eyes, wondering what her parents would have done in this circumstance. Among the bandits there were only two people who had been unanimously feared. One was Raven's mother, a mercilessly cruel huntress with little to recommend of her. She was a black widow, killing her husband in cold blood after he'd forced himself on her one too many times.

His body was found in tattered pieces, his blood on her hands. The crime seemed clear to those who saw it, never understanding the deeper depths of the truth.

Raven never knew the details, either. Her mother refused to give them. As far as Raven and Qrow had ever been concerned, they were an unwanted reminder of a nightmare made real. Abortion avoided only at the behest of a fellow exile, and murderer, who had taken her mother in when no one else would.

The now deceased man was once the beloved leader of the bandit tribes. He, at one point, had been considered lord and master of all bandits in these very territories. A dog Faunus with military history, and an unquestionable chip on his shoulder. He had been greatly loved and respected by the wayward peoples, those who bathed in blood, and had no home to return to. His followers were trained like militant warriors, and under his command the tribes communed under his sole leadership.

During his reign, they needed no other.

As far as Raven was concerned, that great dog Faunus had been the one to raise her. He had certainly taken a particular interest in the Branwen twins, and she would never forget the long hours she spent at his side, learning the ways of bandit life, and skill with a sword. The time he took carefully molding them into skilled hunters wasn't an easy detail to bypass. That he sent them away to the cities for further education, that he shooed them away from the bandit life to learn about the larger world, it meant something.

What exactly, Raven had never quite been sure. In the grand scheme, the lesson didn't matter now.

Raven's burden happened after his passing, when the tribes began to fracture and the twins were away. They were delusional, living their own blissful lives away from the family that raised them. Raven was never quite sure what separated the bandits, forcing them to dispersed and fight amongst themselves. All she knew was that the few that followed her, were the last truly loyal kin that she'd ever have. Those still grieving their great lord's death, as if following Raven's command was the last honor they could do onto him.

Truth be told, there was no honor in any of it, and those distant reasons were only an excuse.

It was one that all of them shared, including Raven herself. It was cowardice, little more, but there was no changing it now. No going back. That was fine though, because she didn't want to go back. This life suited her just fine. Her eyes drifted open as she sighed. "Qrow and I have always maintained a somewhat acerbic relationship, up until my father's rather abrupt death. We were raised to be rivals in a way, taught to be as strong as we could be."

"That strength could have unified us all. It still could, if you could convince Qrow to come back for good." Vernal proposed softly. "Even if he doesn't agree with everything you've done, he can't deny that we needed you."

Raven shrugged then, pushing away the muddy logic. "In his opinion, I turned my back on my family. In my opinion, he turned his back on us. When it came to the topic of uniting the tribe, there was little to discuss."

"It must have been hard on you."

"It was." Raven murmured.

"If you ever want to talk about it…"

"There is nothing to say." Raven shot back. "Vernal, enough of this. Go back to the camp and see that everything continues to go as planned. I plan to also make a return soon, perhaps you should consider a feast for my arrival. Have the men slay a few wild hogs. I'm sure they would love the excitement, I'll even procure a keg of ale for the occasion."

It was enough for Vernal, but Raven could still feel the tension in the air as the woman began to leave. The edge of hesitancy, as though she were waiting for Raven to join her. Alas, such a deep desire wouldn't see fruition.

In the pre-dawn darkness, Raven crept back into the shadows of the forest, where she felt she belonged.


	24. Chapter 24

**Next Update: Tuesday July 24th**

 **Chapter 24  
(Location: The Island of Menagerie.)**

The birds always began their racket before sunrise.

It wasn't anything unusual, leaving one of her many lovers to sleep in was part of Blake's routine. It felt different though, dragging herself from her bedding and seeing Ruby and Neon using the end of the huge bed as their sleeping space. On a small cot on the far side of the room, Yang curled herself tightly in the sheets meaning she had wandered off at some point in the night.

It was indicative of another nightmare. Even now, Yang was restless.

Blake could have cursed her own mental exhaustion right then and there. If she would have been more attentive, she would have known that Yang had been unable to sleep well. She hated when the blonde went sneaking around at night, knowing she only strayed when she was deeply troubled.

She wasn't exactly a fan of leaving her mate to wake alone, but Blake's work was never done. Thankfully, Ruby and Neon both tended to sleep like rocks too, so climbing over them wasn't as difficult as one might thought it would be. Once she righted herself and got dressed, she turned to take proper stock of the situation once more, further finding reasons to hate herself.

She carefully moved Ruby to her pillow, before moving Neon to Yang's unused one, tucking the both of them in properly.

Then, she crossed the room to Yang.

With great care, her fingers wandered to Yang's tear stained cheek. It was moist to the touch, the salty droplets still fresh. Brushing back the wild mane of blond hair that stuck up in every direction, Blake sighed softly. A kiss on the forehead had to be enough. The twinge of guilt turned to annoyance, and then anger, before she managed to collect the irrational fragments of her mind.

Of course she would be upset about leaving her mate during the delicate time. At least, that's what she told herself as she continued to brush the messy blonde mane out of her lover's eyes.

With great effort, she made her final preparations and left the three slumbering women to catch up on some apparently needed rest.

Setting out on early morning patrol made the rest of the guard respect Blake in a way that very few could hope for. Even the captains of the guard, and the hunters of Menagerie, turned to pay attention when Blake walked the known paths. She could have slept in. Could have ordered others to walk the paths for her. Instead, she, just like her parents, walked the paths herself. Weaving in and out of the dense forests, culling the Grimm that got too close. Monitoring the ones that moved around in the distance, eyeing their location for extermination later that day.

Blake had been scouting and hunting on her own ever since she had been deemed skilled enough to do so. She wasn't about to change that routine now.

Leaping into the trees, she ventured further, going deeper into the island's wilds. She used that time to stew in the conversations from the night before. What was she to do with two temperamental people? If she were honest with herself, she knew Yang and Ruby had very reasonable, yet difficult, requests. Ruby's desires were more easily dealt with. All Blake had to do was wait patiently and not interfere on the subject of Ruby's mission team.

Blake didn't like relinquishing that sort of control, but Ruby had personally asked that of her…and _only_ that of her. Displeased, Blake decided she would bite her tongue about the matter. If Ruby wanted more time, then she would simply have to afford the huntress that level of respect.

Yang's problems were the ones that truly troubled Blake.

They were more complicated. The ramifications were longer lasting. With each step Blake urged the path to drift by faster. Her footfalls carrying her with more speed than she usually would have liked. She would have reprimanded any trainee. She would have outright beaten a careless trainee to a pulp. Pure negligence, she would have called it. If a person of lesser skill did the same thing, it would unquestionably put the village in danger.

As a rule, such careless actions were a disrespect for the Grimm lurking in the shadows. Huntresses were slain by the creatures for lesser reasons. She mentally berated herself, but it did no good. She still felt the urgent need to rush.

She sped through the woods with the intent to finish her patrol more quickly. Blake knew it was unforgiveable. With every step, a fraction of guilt stabbed Blake's mind more than once. Strangely enough, it didn't slow her down. It made her go faster, the jog turned to a run. The normally five hour patrol route took less than three, and sunlight was starting to break amongst the clouds once she finished.

She was covered in sweat, her lungs aching for air, but it was complete. Now that the bright light in the sky lit her way back home, the inexperienced members of the village guard would take her place. They would do the routes once more, and she had to count on them to keep the village safe. For once, they would be picking up her slack in the wake of her hurried mistakes.

It was a good thing, too, because she had other places to be.

She returned home quickly. Washing and dressing into something more comfortable before sitting in one of her gathering areas. Yang, awoken and freshly showered, was all too happy to see Blake reclining around in the household. The rare sight not only welcomed, but one Yang wanted to encourage. She flopped onto Blake with glee. Cuddling into the woman with not a strip of clothing covering her form.

"Yang, you're naked…" Blake said, but it was only a gentle reprimand.

"I know, isn't it awesome?"

"It would be, if it were not this very moment." Blake said, hoping to appease the playful gesture and end it quickly.

"Why, what's going on right now?"

"Your stray human male is supposed to be joining me. Having my mate laying across my lap like this, is hardly the first impression I want to give." Blake already knew her reprimand came too late. "Although, it appears that it's unavoidable now, since he's already here."

Blake rolled her eyes, she couldn't even fathom the sort of man Yang might bring home. She hadn't inquired too deeply on the subject. First impressions were meant to be made without the influence of others. Blake firmly believe that was the best way to act without assumptions, good or bad, to cloud her judgement.

As he was brought in and invited to sit down, she found herself fixated. He was certainly nothing like Yang at all. Schooling her expression, she spoke smoothly. "You can close your mouth now, unless you're trying to catch flies…"

The young man closed his mouth tightly, his teeth clicking. The sight in front of him had completely derailed his train of thought. He had heard the rumors, but to see them as fact astounded him. The island was warm enough without the household itself feeling several degrees warmer. His garbs felt far too tight and restricting for the island weather, and that spoke nothing of the fact that he was, indeed, a red blooded male.

"My apologies." He coughed into his hand, looking away from the Faunus woman and the blonde. The latter of whom was far too happy to inhabit her lap. "That was indiscrete of me."

A boisterous laugh did nothing to ease his embarrassment in the slightest, either. It was from Yang. "Dunno if you've noticed, buddy, but around here, nothing's discrete about what we do."

"Hush." The Faunus woman commanded, laying a firm hand on the backside of the naked blonde. "You're the reason he's gawking in the first place. Put a robe on, Yang, for heaven's sake."

"Are you kidding? It's hotter than a crotch and twice as balmy around here, give me a break."

 _"_ _Yang…"_

"Nope! Not moving, I'm comfy."

Golden eyes narrowed. This time the slap to Yang's ass was harder, causing the blonde to wince as the Faunus left a sizeable red mark. "Show our guest some respect, please."

"Aright, alright, I'm going. Don't go getting the claws involved." Yang sighed under her breath, hoisting herself up from her all too comfortable position sprawled across the Faunus woman's lap. Her beauty was a sight to behold, the splendor itself causing the man to question his very luck. If this was a blessing or a burden, he couldn't begin to tell.

"You'll have to forgive her." Blake said, drawing his attention back to her.

The man swallowed hard, nodding. "Yes, of course."

"Yang's a natural furnace you see, and she likes to pretend this household is hers to strut around as she pleases. Naturally, she likes to tease people in any way she can. I suspect that seeing you fluster so easily only made her day better." The Faunus explained, one leg firmly crossing over the other. "So, Lie Ren, was it?"

"It is." He nodded, his eyes nearly rolling out of his skull when he noticed a few other women padding across the hall, rather scantily dressed at that. "Is this rampant nakedness normal?"

"In my household, yes." Blake smirked. "Gawk all you like, if they're parading around that way in the common areas, that's their own fault. They know we have an unaccustomed guest, and this home is large enough that they could easily avoid this room if they choose to."

"I see. I will attempt to maintain at least some level of decorum, difficult as that may be." He dragged his gaze back to the woman in front of him. He had to handle the conversation with care. "So then, you are the chieftain's daughter, Blake Belladonna."

"I am." She nodded in kind, studying him. Her gaze lingered on his form, her lips curved only slightly in contentment. "You're not from around here, are you?"

"No…I…was that ever a question?"

"Not in this village, no. Humans are prohibited in most areas. However, nomads and wanderers have been known to take in wayward humans from time to time, if they're young. You might have been raised in a fellow village, for all that I know."

"I was an orphan, yes, but I was not raised on this island." He swallowed and look down at his hands, his demeanor changing instantly. "My companion and I travelled here from the mainland."

"The islanders can take some getting used to. We often get human visitors, but very few ever stay, and never within the village walls. Fewer still travel to the outskirts. I doubt my home can be found without a guide." Blake replied humorously. "Yang said you were staying in the hunter's pub."

"It seemed to be the only place that would allow me to stay."

"True."

"Though humans seem to live here as well." He said.

"Also true, but, not just any passerby." Blake replied. "I take it that you have a license to hunt Grimm?"

"Yes, of course."

Blake tilted her head to the side, ears flattening thoughtfully. "Why did you come to a Faunus island?"

"My companion and I needed training, different forms of it. She found her tutor, but I've yet to find mine. They say the chieftain is one of the best. I've tried to ask for his tutelage, but, gaining an audience with him has proven difficult."

The woman smiled in a feral way, her eyes glittering coyly. "You've come to train?" She repeated. "A human, training in the ways of a Faunus huntsmen?"

Ren nodded again. "I would like to learn."

"I see, well, you've come to the right island, but I fear you may have been misinformed." Blake replied slowly. "Faunus do hunt differently from humans, but, our Grimm here are different too. Larger, faster, much more deadly. The perils here are much more diverse, our tactics more varied than you could imagine. They have to be, we don't have a choice in the matter."

"Yet, you do slay them using those skills." Ren told her. "As a huntsman, I need to know all I can. Grimm on the mainland are becoming more aggressive. Swarming around the outlying villages, and along the walls of our cities. There's been a lull recently, however."

"A lull?" Blake asked slowly. "In what way?"

"Fewer Grimm have been sighted along usual migratory routes than usual. Some of our barricades have been ignored for other locations. They've been acting strangely, but due to their lack of numbers, we're taking it as a good sign." Ren tried to explain as he folded his hands in his lap. "This is as good a time as any for us to re-think the way we slay these beasts, and I've decided I should revisit my training while the numbers remain low."

"That sounds like a problem for the hunters and huntresses on the mainland, and the academies who train them." Blake said then. "It doesn't sound like a concern for Menagerie."

"Before their numbers began to thin, our training wasn't cutting it." Ren said pointedly before edging his tone into something calmer, more thoughtful. "The academies can only teach so much. The textbook explanations aren't working as effectively as they used to anymore. Grimm are evolving, becoming smarter as they age. Your ways are different, but that perhaps makes them useful to my cause. The Grimm on the mainland have not adapted to your way of fighting."

"It's obvious to me why you haven't gained my father's attention, then." Blake laughed.

"Perhaps you could clarify." Ren replied.

"I could." Blake said, her own kimono far too loose around her body. She adjusted it accordingly. "However, I could simply choose to turn you away. Right now, I'm leaning heavily upon doing just that."

"Some of those villages contain Faunus." Ren said, using the last bit of truth he had to earn her favor. "Some of them have no other means of survival. They need hunters like myself, ones that are willing to protect them. They'll die without help, I'm sure you can understand the gravity of that."

"I can." She then stretched at length, as if pondering the request. The silk sliding off of her toned thigh in a manner that left no question that there was absolutely nothing underneath it. She placed it back the way it was. "Alright, let me put it to you this way. The tribesmen don't take just anyone under their wing, most certainly not a human. Most islanders around here find outsiders offensive. Especially those who will one day leave the island, never to return. That you are human besides, well, need I even explain that?"

"I knew I had to try." Ren replied evenly, his head bowed in the candle lit sitting room. Furnished with objects low to the ground, pillows, and silks coverings many corners. He knew this room was likely one of lust and sin. He did his best not to think of the more carnal nature spoken of the girl in front of him. The rumors had to be simply that, shouldn't they? He tossed the matter aside. He couldn't give up, not yet. "Your father, Ghira, they say his skill as a huntsman is unmatched, or so the stories go."

"That depends entirely on the tactics that are used." Blake corrected. "My father may be the best in our ways of fighting…but that does not mean his way is the only way, or that there aren't more skilled huntsmen out there. The rumors are merely that, rumors. That's not to say his methods aren't effective, however."

"He has a reputation…like it or not, it spreads far and wide."

"Among Faunus."

"Among humans too." Ren said.

"Faunus value power in their leader." Blake returned unflinchingly. "Our name spreads far because it must. However his teachings do not end with him. It should come as no surprise that as his only heir, my skills have been honed to his standard." She snapped her fingers, another cat Faunus coming out from the shadows. She paused to refill the woman's cup before hiding away again. Blake sipped from it, long and slow. "I may be young, but I do battle with the best of them."

"That was also rumored." Ren agreed. "It's why I've sought you out. I thought perhaps if I earned your approval, it might be enough to be noticed by the village elders. The blonde woman, Yang, she's the one that told me you might be able to help. It was a chance, and I took it."

"Absolutely not." Blake replied, sighing as she watched his eyes darken under the weight of her refusal. There was something else about him, about the way his aura sizzled. His semblance ghosted his form briefly. "If you wish to learn the ways of the Grimm, hunting them as we do in Menagerie, you do not need the approval of the elders. If all you seek are new methods, my teachings will suffice."

Hope renewed in his gaze, he gripped his white pants, bowing deeply to her. "There is one thing, though. I don't have anything to pay you with." His voice was sad, bitterly telling the truths of his nature, but Blake had already known that. "I was hoping I could pay my way in services, manual labor of some kind. I thought my license as it was would be enough to offer some value."

"We don't care for credentials here, so that is of no consequence either way. Come with me…" Blake replied, standing from her seated position, gesturing for Ren to do the same. She took him down a few passageways and into her personal study. Ushering him inside, she closed the door. "I'm sure you've heard the rumors by now. If you've come to me, it's obvious that you have. The islanders around here say I keep humans as pets, but, that's hardly the case. Humans do have a use to me though, your mere existence proves beneficial for the island at large…"

Without giving him a moment to process, she forcefully yanked down a rolled up map hanging on the wall. "The island is larger than it appears, however most of it remains uninhabitable. Furthermore, our trade and commerce remains uneasy with the kingdoms beyond the waters. At best, we can be our own self-sustaining community. At worst, we hardly get by. That's where you humans come in."

"To be merchants?"

Blake nodded once more, carefully placing the map away. "Humans trade more plentifully with other humans. Food supplies, rare materials, ore, medicine…dust…those are things our island must procure from trade. Furthermore, the waters are dangerous. More and more ships sink every year thanks to aggressive Grimm. Human ships receive help when they send distress calls, Faunus ships are not often so lucky. In short, if you do as I say, Lie Ren, and serve this island well, I shall train you myself."


	25. Chapter 25

Late update, but real life is keeping me busier than I would like due to some unforeseen circumstances. Hate when it happens, but have to deal with it when it does. Anyway, hope you like the chapter anyway.

 **Chapter 25**

Yang had seen many things in her time as a huntress, many more during her time in Menagerie.

There were a lot of humans that passed by, and several men and women that chose to stay at Blake's side for a plethora of reasons. Blake took on apprentices often, but many of them didn't stick around for very long. Most of those that stayed were decidedly female. There were only two males of especially high rank living in the household, and Yang was almost positive that this new person, a human male at that, was lucky to have received Blake's approval at all.

Yang was curious, of course, and her nature got the better of her.

"You know, you've turned away almost twenty guys this week, right?" The blonde deadpanned as she tended to the woman in front of her.

"All of them were village Faunus." Blake pointed out.

"The number of people is the point, not the heritage." Yang said, carefully washing Blake from head to toe, paying special care to the sore spots that training always inflicted. Ren had managed to get a few lucky strikes in, impressing Blake, and astounding Yang. Still, others asking for training had managed to do so before as well, only to be turned away after successful matches.

Winning was not the qualifier that Blake looked for, but the cat Faunus wasn't keen on sharing exactly what the component was. Only that she expected all of those in her household to have and maintain that mysterious quality. It made Yang wonder why Blake decided to agree at all. "What makes him so special anyway?"

"He's not special." Blake said with a chuckle, her eyes slipping closed. "That's why I chose him."

"Because you always let dudes run around in the house." Yang said sarcastically. "Especially new humans, who happen to be guys. Yeah, totally your style Blake."

"The men that seek me out often times aren't men, only mere boys." Blake said with a shrug. "Old enough to mate, but hardly seasoned enough to hold any actual position of authority. They're eager to prove just how worthy they are…honestly, it's just tiring." Then, she smirked to herself. "True men of merit seek my father's training. Normally, they have mates, and have proven themselves responsible. They don't seek battle, but rather, to become worthy leaders in the community."

"Yah, but Ren won't ever have that kind of power, not here anyway. So what gives?"

"Honestly?" Blake murmured conversationally. "He chooses to walk a slippery slope. I find that very interesting."

"Yeah, if you say so." Yang clicked her tongue as she gently tweaked one of her lover's cat ears. Twisting it carefully and gently in her grip, she murmured her reply upon a hot, breathy whisper. "That still doesn't answer my question though. Why him, of all guys?"

The cat Faunus raised a brow, glancing over her shoulder to the Blonde holding the wash cloth. "Shouldn't you be happy that you're getting what you wanted out of this as well? You've kept your promise, and as such you'll be receiving that payment you seek. It's a fair trade."

"That's not the reason, Blake." Yang said, twisting that Faunus ear just a little more tightly, her hot breath ghosting over the sensitive fur. "We both know that isn't it, and it wouldn't ever be."

"Ren is a huntsman, and he carries himself with humility." Blake began, swatting that troublesome hand away. "He's not a young man with something asinine to prove. He believes he will benefit by learning the ways of Menagerie hunters. In that way, he's no different than the rest of you. Obviously, my father will not train him. However, I don't have the same reservations about humans. I have plenty of time to teach an already skilled hunter a few new methods." Blake explained. "He's not completely green, not like others I've come across."

"True, I guess I can give him that." Yang answered, looking at one large bruise that hadn't yet healed. The purplish color slowly fading as the hours drifted by. It would be gone before the day was done. "He nailed you good."

"A painful right hook, that's for sure." Blake said, wincing slightly as Yang ran her fingers over the bruise. "It's not as powerful as yours, but it has some merit. He's a fluid fighter."

"Blakey, the only one around here who can match me fist-to-fist is Yatsuhashi, and that's just because the guy hits like a truck without his aura." Yang grinned then as she bent down to kiss the swelling mark. Blake seemed to appreciate the meaningful act, simple and unspoken though it was.

"Ren should adapt well to the Faunus way of fighting. I sense that from him." Blake replied softly. "You shouldn't worry so much, Yang. You know just as well as I do, injuries like that don't last for long"

Concern dissipated in lilac eyes, a slightly playful glint taking up residence where the worry once festered. "So, according to you, it had everything to do with Ren's fighting, and nothing to do with his good looks?" Yang laughed conspiratorially. "Can I really believe that?"

"He's a looker, I won't deny that." Blake agreed. "It also occurs to me that more human males are needed to help propagate your kind here on the island. I understand humans don't have the same sort of innate desire to breed that a Faunus might. Still, it begs the question, how are you humans to find your own proper suitors when eligible Faunus men won't even give you the time of day?"

"Maybe because when they do look at one of us, they realize just who we answer to?" Yang supplied thoughtfully. "Ever thought of that?"

"You are my warriors, highly trained, easy on the eyes, worthy mates, humans or not." Blake said, her eyes skimming Yang's body, no small amount of appreciation lingering over the finely sculpted figure of the blond brawler. Lust simmered just beneath the affection. "I won't let any rabble off the street have a go at you. No, you're best suited to strong gene pools. Men and women of equally powerful make. If they cannot look me in the eye and ask for my approval, then obviously they are unworthy of even your consideration."

"Aw, but the meek ones are always so fun to toy with." Yang grinned.

"Perhaps, but, would you have actually bedded one of them?" The Faunus half growled in a playful show of possession. "Have I become that disinteresting over the years? You have a need to look for playthings elsewhere?"

Yang smirked, shaking her head. "I'm not going anywhere, Blakey, you know that. I said yes to become your mate for a reason." She sunk low in the hot pool of water, moving to embrace the dark haired Faunus. "I like this whole free spirit thing we've got going on, me and the girls…and you…" The blonde closed her eyes then, taking comfort in the fact that Blake was in her arms on this night, and not any of the other young warriors seeking to gain Blake's affections. "I just don't want to complicate any of that with people I don't know. That's all."

"Yang, so long as you do not stray from my influence, you will always be my mate." Blake told her, smoothing out unruly blonde hair that threatened to drown her in a sea of silky gold. "We of Menagerie, are a people of the wilds. We have no choice but to be, and what is normal here is not normal elsewhere. You and I are mates, body and soul, unless you choose not to be...that's a promise I didn't make lightly."

"Then you're stuck with me forever, you know." Yang said pointedly.

"Trust me, Yang." Blake said with a laugh. "I know all too well."

"Things are going to get busy..."

"Perhaps."

"And messy…"

"Mmm, but it's to be expected." Blake murmured thoughtfully. "With the remedial training beginning soon, I fully expect to have my hands full." Then she smirked, realizing that Yang, too, would be burdened by the weight of village matters. "By extension, so shall you."

"Me?"

"Yes you." Blake said pointedly. "You will also have to work hard as an example that humans can conform to our battle tactics. I know you aren't as light on your feet as some, and you're hardly the tactician that other huntresses tend to be. However, your loyalty and steadfast motivation will come as a blessing, giving courage to those who feel as if they have nothing to offer, and little to show for their efforts...you know that feeling quite well, and as you know, I see that as an asset, not a fault."

"I've been thinking about that a lot, you know. I feel like we're about to bite off way more than we can chew. White fang delinquents and a Schnee in the same group." Yang noted humorously. "How do think that'll work out?"

Blake reclined more fully in the water, fingers twirling in the heated liquid thoughtfully. "I don't think anything of it as of right now." she said, allowing her fingers to swirl patterns onto Yang's thigh as it just ghosted the water's surface. "Time will tell what sort of situation I'll be dealing with, but at this moment, I choose to act with due caution. Besides, I expect my White Fang brethren to respect my authority, their lives depends on their loyalty..."

"I don't think I like the sound of that." Yang muttered. "It's just so...dark, thinking of it like that."

"Perhaps, but what other was is there?" Blake closed her eyes then, tired as she was, and as vexing as the truth could be, she kept them closed. "People in Atlas want some sort of compensation, and the price is quite heavy. Sadly, given their culture, I don't find it unfair, just mildly depressing."

"Yeah, but still...there's gotta be something else we can do."

"Ah, but the question is, would I even want to try?" Blake swallowed hard, not liking her own answer. "The answer is no, I wouldn't. Even if I can't amuse their cruelty at this time, I do respect Atlas for who and what they, as a culture, deem fit...I don't have to agree with it, to see the merits."

"But…you wouldn't actually let them kill Faunus, would you?"

"If my brothers and sisters of the White Fang choose to act with disrespect to human lives and human property, how am I to expect humans to change their ways and accept us as equals? Violence begets violence. Vengeance offers vengeance in kind. If Faunus fail to follow the laws of the kingdom in which they live, I cannot protect them from the government."

"That's really harsh..."

"Such is the way of the world." Blake said in her usual, unimpressed monotone. "If my father and I have no other alternative, well, the wellbeing of the entire Faunus populous must come before favoritism. White Fang brethren or not, I would choose the greater whole. That's just the way it is."


End file.
